Global Adviser

Industrial yet elegant, metal was modernism's favorite material, and today some of the most fashionable furniture still has a metallic gleam. Make like a magpie, and line your nest with these shiny things.

VERYROUND CHAIR BY LOUISE CAMPBELL
Don't feel cagey about sitting in Campbell's Veryround chair, even if its laser-cut steel looks slightly scary. It may be hard-edged, but it envelops you like a floral cocoon. Designed for Zanotta in 2006 by the Copenhagen-based Campbell, this award-winning chair is already recognized as a contemporary classic. www.zanotta.it

PANTON CHAIR BY BASED UPON
Rust never sleeps, according to rock star Neil Young. Here, it creeps up on a signature chair by Verner Panton. The Pop-era designer usually worked in plastic — and, yes, this is at heart a plastic chair. But London group Based Upon sprayed it with liquid metal to create this striking patina effect. www.basedupon.co.uk

TUDOR ROOM DIVIDER BY ARMANI CASA
A host of upmarket fashion brands have been moving into homewares lately. You can rely on Armani for something with a little bling, and here it is: an alluring screen that resembles linked rows of vertical gold ingots. Expect friends — and any visiting Inca rulers — to be jealous. www.armanicasa.com

TRACCIA TABLE BY MERET OPPENHEIM
You might think of surrealism as purely a visual-arts movement, but think again. The Traccia table, designed by the Swiss Oppenheim (1913-85) and available from furniture supplier Viaduct, is a vintage piece with a distinctly surrealist character. Look at its legs: these are knobbly knees you'll enjoy having. www.viaduct.co.uk