Eames chair and ottoman – £2700 at Elstob & Elstob.
In terms of name recognition in the UK, Alvar Aalto is probably outranked by the American couple Charles Eames (1907-78) and his wife Ray (1912-88). Of their output the lounge chair (670) and ottoman (671) designed in 1956 is the most iconic.
First produced in rosewood by Herman Miller, the chair has been made in various materials ever since – in Britain and Germany under licence and today copied by Chinese and European manufacturers.