Nifty fifties
Paul Weller, Madonna, Prince - it's not just some of my favourite pop stars who are turning 50 this year, but a whole host of iconic pieces of furniture. The glut of great design can be put down to the post-war boom years of the 1950s, when forward-thinking was in the air.
One thing the big birthdays demonstrate is that if a product is well designed, it will look good for decades. These are not fly-by-night pieces, but heirloom purchases, which, should you choose to invest, will still look good in another 50 years when you pass them on to your grandchildren. Take Arne Jacobsen's Egg chair (left, from £3,045, aram.co.uk ) - it is about the most familiar designer chair around, and