Design Classic: Magis Puppy

Designer: Eero Aarnio, 2005.

Details: Magis Puppy, from £57, Utility Design.

Believe us when we say that back in the early Noughties, there was a dearth of decent pieces design-conscious parents could kit their kids’ rooms out with. Then along came Magis and its Me Too collection – one of the first modern, design-led ranges created specifically with children in mind. Overnight, things changed. The brainchild of Eugenio Perazza, founder of Magis who, the story goes, was inspired to create the range when he couldn’t find a decently child-friendly drawing table for his granddaughter. A roll call of Me Too designers reads like a who’s who of those (Philippe Starck and Javier Mariscal among others) working at the more fun end of the contemporary design spectrum.

Puppy, designed by Eero Aarnio (he of the iconic Bubble chair) is the standout piece in the range. As Aarnio explained, ‘I wanted to keep only the most essential features of a puppy when designing it, just like children do when they draw their first animals: head, body, legs.’ He nailed it.

Whether used indoors or out, as a chair, a stool, a toy or a sculpture, with its appealing amorphic shape and sturdy moulded polypropylene form, Puppy is one of those joyful pieces that brings a playful touch to any space.