Design and furniture
With design, the decisive question is not the shape but the date: period original, later licensed production or unlicensed copy?
Famous designs are often produced for decades. A chair or table can exist as a unique prototype, as an early piece made under the designer's control, as a later licensed edition still on sale today – and as an unlicensed copy. All of them may look alike; their values differ enormously.
Period pieces with documented provenance are the top of the market. Licensed editions are legitimate products with a used-furniture value. Copies have little resale value and can infringe design rights.
What kinds of design objects are there?
Period originals and prototypes
Pieces made during the designer's lifetime, often in small numbers – the top of the market.
Licensed editions
Later production by an authorised manufacturer – recognisable by labels, stamps and certificates.
Lacquer and craft pieces
Screens, panels and furniture made by hand with traditional techniques.
Tubular steel and glass
Modernist furniture of the 1920s and 1930s and its later reissues.
Art glass, lamps and fittings
Windows, lamps and fittings designed for specific buildings.
Carpets and textiles
Rugs and textiles designed by architects and designers, often woven in workshops.
What drives the value
- Date of production: Pieces made in the designer's lifetime are worth many times more than later editions.
- Provenance: A documented origin – a specific house, client or exhibition – adds substantially to value.
- Originality of parts: Replaced upholstery, glass or fittings reduce value; original finishes are preferred.
- Manufacturer: Licensed manufacturers mark their pieces; missing marks often point to copies.
How to check what you have
- Labels and stamps: Look underneath and inside for manufacturer labels, stamps and serial numbers.
- Construction: Screws, welds, joints and materials should fit the period.
- Wear: Genuine age shows consistent wear; artificial ageing is often uneven.
- Documents: Invoices, old photographs and certificates from the manufacturer help with dating.
Design and furniture by the artists in our guides
How this type of work looks in the market of individual artists – with links to their full profiles, auction records and authenticity checks.
Eileen Gray
Lacquer work: Screens, panels and furniture in traditional Japanese lacquer – rare and extremely valuable.
Furniture: Unique and early pieces such as the Dragons armchair, the Bibendum chair and the Transat chair.
Tubular steel and glass: Modernist designs such as the E-1027 side table.
Carpets: Rugs with abstract designs from her own workshop.
Architecture: E-1027 and Tempe à Pailla – her buildings in the south of France.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Furniture, glass, fittings: Art glass windows, lamps and furniture from his houses – often the top of his market.
Questions
Is my designer chair an original?
Check for manufacturer labels and stamps, construction details and wear. Period originals are rare; most pieces in circulation are licensed editions or copies.
Are licensed reproductions worth anything?
Yes, they have a used-furniture value close to their retail price, but they are not collector's pieces like period originals.
How do I photograph furniture for an estimate?
Photograph it from all sides, underneath, all labels and stamps, joints and any damage.
Do you own a design piece?
Photograph the front, the back and any marks, signatures or seals, and get a free estimate. For insurance, a sale or an estate, order an appraisal with a notarized signature.
This guide explains general market rules. It is not an appraisal; the value of a specific work depends on its artist, condition and provenance.