27 Space Age Decor Pieces Collectors Compete Over

For about two decades, living rooms tried to look like launch pads. Furniture turned round, plastic went glossy, and televisions began to resemble astronaut helmets.

The rockets eventually came home, but the furniture stayed behind.

Now those pieces draw crowds at auctions and bidding wars online. The trouble is that many of them were never out of production for long, so an original, a licensed reissue and a cheap copy can sit side by side in the same listing.

Eero Aarnio Globe Chair

The Finnish designer Eero Aarnio shaped this fiberglass sphere in the early 1960s, and Asko put it in front of the public at the Cologne furniture fair in 1966. The seat sits inside a cut-away shell on a swivel base, with a padded interior that muffles outside noise.

Adelta and later Eero Aarnio Originals have produced authorized versions, and those remain expensive in their own right. Vintage Asko examples command the highest prices, but a cracked shell, faded upholstery or a replaced base can cut the value sharply.

Aarnio Bubble Chair

Aarnio followed the Globe with a transparent version in 1968, hanging a clear acrylic dome from the ceiling on a chain. The frame around the opening is steel, and the cushions are the only soft part.

Buyers love it because it floats and lets light pass straight through the seat. Acrylic scratches and yellows with age, so clarity is the first thing a serious collector checks.

Countless unlicensed copies exist, and a missing maker’s mark or a thin, wobbly dome is usually the giveaway that separates them from authorized production.

Aarnio Pastil Chair

Aarnio’s Pastil, also sold as the Gyro, is a rocking chair molded from a single piece of fiberglass shaped like a flattened candy. It works indoors, outdoors and even floating on a pool, which says a lot about how the late 1960s imagined leisure.

Asko made the early examples in bright glossy colors such as orange, lime and red. Later authorized runs exist, and they are still sought after.

Surface crazing, chips along the rim and poor repaint jobs all lower the price, while an original factory finish pushes it up.

Verner Panton Chair

The Danish designer Verner Panton spent years chasing a chair made from one continuous piece of plastic with no legs in the usual sense. Vitra helped make it possible, and Herman Miller distributed early versions in the late 1960s.

The cantilevered S-shape still looks like it came from a spacecraft lounge. Early examples in fiberglass or older plastics are prized, while current Vitra production is common and priced accordingly.

Stamps under the seat help with dating, and cracks at the base curve are the most frequent and costly flaw.

Panton Flowerpot Lamp

Panton designed the Flowerpot pendant in the late 1960s, stacking two metal half-domes to hide the bulb and throw a soft downward glow. Louis Poulsen made the early versions in enameled metal, often in orange, red or white.

The lamp is back in production through the Danish maker &Tradition, which means new ones are easy to buy. Collectors pay more for vintage examples with original wiring and period colors.

Dents and chipped enamel are common because the shades are thin, and condition matters more than size for pricing.

Panton Moon Lamp

The Moon lamp is a stack of adjustable metal rings that can be rotated to open or close the light, a bit like the phases of the moon. Panton created it in 1960 and Louis Poulsen produced the early versions.

A modern reissue has been made by Verpan, which holds rights to many Panton designs. Original rings are thin and easy to bend, so a straight, complete lamp is uncommon.

Buyers should count the rings and check the pivots, because missing or mismatched parts reduce value quickly.

Saarinen Tulip Table and Chair

Eero Saarinen wanted to rid tables and chairs of the tangle of legs underneath, and the result was a single flared pedestal. Knoll introduced the Tulip series in the late 1950s, and it has never really left production.

That makes date and label checks essential. Early chairs have a cast aluminum base and a molded fiberglass shell, and original Knoll labels or stamps add confidence.

Chips in the base finish, cracked shells and replaced tops all lower prices, and marble-top tables vary widely by stone condition.

Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair

Arne Jacobsen designed the Egg in the late 1950s for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, where he controlled nearly everything down to the cutlery. Fritz Hansen has made it ever since, so authentic examples span many decades.

Vintage chairs with original upholstery and early swivel bases fetch the most. Reupholstered examples can still be valuable if the work is professional and the shell is sound.

Knockoffs are everywhere, and the telltale signs include a stiff, bulky profile and the absence of a Fritz Hansen mark underneath.

Sputnik Chandeliers

These fixtures, with bare bulbs radiating from a central hub, borrow their nickname from the Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Italian makers such as Stilnovo produced some of the most admired versions, and many American lighting companies turned out their own.

The number of arms varies, and larger fixtures with more arms usually cost more. Brass and chrome finishes are both common.

Buyers should expect rewiring on vintage pieces, and missing arms, pitted plating or replaced sockets can knock a sizable amount off the price.

Starburst Wall Clocks

Clocks with spokes shooting out from a central dial were everywhere in the 1950s and 1960s. George Nelson’s work for Howard Miller set the style, and companies such as Elgin and Syroco made more affordable versions.

The spikes might be brass rods, wood dowels or molded resin. Original Howard Miller clocks bring the strongest prices, and current licensed reissues exist, so paper labels and movement types help with dating.

Bent or missing rays and dead movements lower value, though a working original movement adds appeal.

JVC Videosphere

JVC released the Videosphere around 1970, and its helmet-shaped plastic housing became one of the most recognizable televisions of the decade. A chain loop on top let owners hang it, and a pedestal base let it sit on a table.

Colors such as white, red and orange appear most often. Many units no longer work, and later analog broadcast shutdowns mean most need a converter or modification to show anything.

Working sets with an intact screen, base and uncracked shell command the best prices.

Philco Predicta Television

Philco introduced the Predicta line in the late 1950s, separating the picture tube from the cabinet so the screen seemed to float above it. Some models even put the screen on a cord, letting it sit apart from the chassis.

The look was bold, but the sets were not a commercial success. That limited run helps collector demand today.

Restored, working sets are worth far more than untouched ones, and cracked tubes, missing knobs and damaged cabinets can drop a Predicta to parts value.

Keracolor Sphere Television

Keracolor was a British firm that housed television sets inside round shells with a flat front for the screen. The Science Museum Group holds one in its collection, which adds to its standing among collectors.

Many sat on pedestal stands, and the shells came in several colors. They are much less common in the United States than the JVC model.

Value depends on whether the internal set works, how clean the shell looks and whether the original base survives.

Weltron Spherical 8-Track Stereo

The Weltron 2001 combined an AM and FM radio with an 8-track player inside a round plastic housing, often paired with matching round speakers. It sat on a pedestal and looked ready for a lunar colony.

White is the most common color, while orange and black examples draw more attention. Buyers pay premiums for working units that include both speakers.

Dried belts, broken antennas and yellowed plastic are all typical problems, and a fully serviced unit costs far more than a nonworking one.

Brionvega Radios and Televisions

The Italian company Brionvega hired major designers, and the results still look ahead of their time. Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper created the Algol portable television, with its screen tilted upward like a small pet looking at its owner. The Castiglioni brothers designed the RR126 stereo, whose speakers can be stacked on the cabinet so the unit resembles a face.

Brionvega has reissued several models, so dating matters. Original examples in working order, with intact knobs and clean plastic, are the ones that sell at the top of the range.

Joe Colombo Boby Trolley

The Italian designer Joe Colombo created the Boby trolley in 1970 as a rolling storage unit with swiveling drawers and open shelves. Bieffeplast produced it, and it is still made today, which keeps it widely available.

The molded plastic body and rounded forms fit the space age look without any obvious rockets. Vintage trolleys show more sun fading and wear, while collectors hunt for early labeled versions in unusual colors.

Missing drawers or cracked casters lower the price, and completeness is the first thing to check.

Olivier Mourgue Djinn Seating

French designer Olivier Mourgue created the low, curving Djinn series in the mid-1960s for Airborne International. The chairs and chaises appeared in the space station scenes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which cemented their place in space age decor.

The frames are steel covered in foam and stretch fabric. Original upholstery is often worn or stained, and reupholstered pieces are common.

Buyers pay most for complete sets with sound frames, and a Djinn with collapsed foam or a bent frame loses much of its appeal.

Pierre Paulin Lounge Chairs

Pierre Paulin designed a string of sculptural chairs for the Dutch maker Artifort in the 1960s, including the Ribbon, Mushroom and Tongue models. Stretch jersey fabric pulled over foam and steel gave them a smooth, futuristic silhouette.

Several remain in production, so older Artifort labels help separate vintage examples. The Ribbon chair in particular draws strong prices.

Worn fabric is normal, but damaged foam and bent frames are expensive to fix, and condition largely decides whether a chair is a bargain or a costly project.

Lava Lite and Mathmos Astro Lamps

The British inventor Edward Craven Walker introduced the Astro lamp in the 1960s through his company Crestworth, which later became Mathmos. In the United States, Lava Simplex sold the design under the Lava Lite name.

Early lamps with original globes and bases are the most collectible, especially rare colors and early model names. The wax and liquid inside degrade over time, so a cloudy globe is a real flaw.

Replacement globes exist, but original, clear examples in period colors bring the best prices.

Fiber Optic Lamps

Lamps with sprays of glowing strands became a fixture in the late 1960s and 1970s. A bulb and rotating color wheel in the base sent light up each fiber so the tips shimmered.

Some versions also doubled as a small fountain with an oil drip effect. Brand names were often inconsistent, so many sell as unmarked.

Buyers should check the motor, the wheel and the fibers, because broken strands and dead motors lower value, while complete, working lamps in good condition bring the strongest prices.

Harvey Guzzini Acrylic Globe Lights

The Italian firm Harvey Guzzini, known today as iGuzzini, produced molded acrylic lamps in the 1960s and 1970s that looked like small planets. Pendants and table lamps often came in white, smoked or amber acrylic.

The rounded, glowing shapes fit perfectly with space age interiors. Unmarked copies are common, so labels and molded markings matter.

Acrylic can crack, yellow or scratch, and those flaws reduce value, while a clean original in working condition sells for noticeably more than a generic globe pendant.

Kartell Componibili Storage

Anna Castelli Ferrieri designed the Componibili modular storage units for Kartell in the late 1960s. The round plastic modules stack on top of each other and use sliding doors instead of hinges.

They are still in production, so vintage examples need careful checking for older markings. Collectors like early versions in bold colors that have not faded.

Cracks, missing tops and discolored plastic lower value, while a matched stack in consistent color and clean condition brings more than separate modules bought one at a time.

Formica Skylark Laminate

Industrial designer Brooks Stevens created the Skylark pattern for Formica in 1950, and its scattered angular shapes became known as the boomerang. It showed up on kitchen tables, counters and diner tops across the country.

Formica has reissued the pattern, so vintage pieces need age checks through wear patterns and construction. Matching atomic fabrics and barkcloth with similar motifs are also collected.

Burns, chips and lifting laminate reduce value, and a table with original chrome legs and a clean top brings strong prices.

Starburst Mirrors

Mirrors surrounded by gilded rays became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, and Syroco made many of the best-known versions. Some used carved wood, while others used molded resin that looked like wood.

Brass rod examples also appear, often with a smaller mirror in the center. Labels and backing materials help separate originals from later copies.

Broken rays, flaking gilt and replaced mirror glass lower value, while original examples in strong condition bring higher prices, especially in larger sizes.

Curtis Jere Wall Sculptures

Curtis Jere, a trade name used by Artisan House, produced metal wall sculptures from the 1960s onward, many with bursts, orbits and abstract shapes. The pieces often mixed brass, copper and enameled accents.

Signed examples are the most collectible, and the signature is usually found on a small plaque or directly on the metal. Size and complexity push prices higher.

Bent elements, missing parts and heavy tarnish lower value, while a clean, complete sculpture with a clear signature sells for much more than an unsigned one.

Franciscan Starburst Dinnerware

Gladding, McBean and Company introduced the Starburst pattern under its Franciscan brand in 1954. The design scattered small stars across the plates, and it fit well with atomic kitchen decor.

Serving pieces such as salt and pepper shakers, gravy boats and platters are the most sought after. Complete sets draw strong interest, but individual pieces also sell.

Chips, crazing and utensil marks lower value, and pieces with bright, unworn patterns and intact glaze bring noticeably more than heavily used examples.

Rocket-Shaped Lamps and Decor

The rocket shape showed up on table lamps, planters and shelf decor in the 1950s and 1960s, as American households followed the space race. Many were made from ceramic or metal and sold through department stores without prominent branding.

That makes identification difficult, and buyers should expect many reproductions. Original pieces show honest age, older wiring and period materials.

Chips, missing fins and damaged paint lower value, while a clean, complete example with original parts can command a solid price for its size.

The Future Had a Shelf Life

Space age decor sold a vision of a tidy, glowing tomorrow, and much of it was made from materials that do not age gracefully. Plastic yellows, foam collapses and wiring gives out. The survivors are the ones collectors chase.

The bigger lesson is that the most famous designs never stopped being made. That makes labels, construction details and condition more important than the look itself. A good copy can furnish a room, but only an original carries the history that collectors pay for.

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