Our first furniture pub quiz went down a treat, so we thought we’d spoil you with another one.
To help you out a little, each question is multiple choice. Make sure to look at the pictures as they might help to jog your memory. Plus, find out some fun design facts when you check your answers.
Furniture Pub Quiz Questions
1. What was the first Eames Elephant prototype made from?
a) Plastic
b) Fibreglass
c) Plywood
2. What is the Compasso d’Oro?
a) A design award
b) An iconic light
c) An interiors magazine
3. Which of these fashion designers has collaborated with Anglepoise?
a) Paul Smith
b) Mary Quant
c) Vivienne Westwood
4. Eero Saarinen’s iconic Pedestal Table is also known as what?
a) Daffodil Table
b) Tulip Table
c) Peony Table
5. Which design duo were founding members of Artek?
a) Alvar & Aino Aalto
b) GamFratesi
c) Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
6. A light’s IP rating is used to determine what?
a) How bright its bulb is
b) If it’s dimmable
c) How waterproof it is
7. Which of these three lighting designers worked at the Bauhaus?
a) Poul Henningsen
b) Vico Magistretti
c) Christian Dell
8. Isamu Noguchi’s Akari Pendant Lights are crafted using Shoji paper made using bark from which tree?
a) Cherry
b) Mulberry
c) Persimmon
9. What material is Tom Raffield known for working with?
a) Wood
b) Steel
c) Textiles
10. How were Charles & Ray Eames related?
a) Husband and wife
b) Brother and sister
c) Cousins
Furniture Pub Quiz Answers
Find out how you did below and find out a little more about the story behind each answer. If you enjoyed our furniture pub quiz, why not send it on to fellow design fans and see how you stack up?
1. C) Plywood
This charming elephant almost didn’t make it to our homes. It was originally created as part of the Eameses’ experimentation into moulding plywood into three-dimensional shapes. But its curved design was deemed too difficult for wider production and it was relegated to the archive. In 2007, Vitra reintroduced the plywood design to its collection and later the plastic edition.
2. A) A design award
The Compasso d’Oro is one of the most prestigious design awards with a similar level of distinction to the Red Dot Award. The first award of its kind in Europe, the idea was partly conceived by Italian designer Gio Ponti in 1954. Today it is awarded by the Associazione per il Disegno Industriale (ADI). Past winners include Vico Magistretti, Philippe Starck and Achille Castiglioni
3. A) Paul Smith
Both renowned for their ability to combine tradition with modernity, it’s no wonder Anglepoise and Paul Smith chose to collaborate. The stunning collection reinterprets the Type 75 Desk Lamp in three vibrant colourways that exemplify Smith’s unrivalled mastery of colour.
4. B) Tulip Table
A true design classic, Eero Saarinen originally designed the Tulip Table to help combat what he saw as “the slum of legs” found under tables. Its sweeping central base inspired the name ‘Tulip’ and transported it to iconic status. Find out more about the Tulip Table here.
5. C) Alvar & Aino Aalto
The Finnish design house was founded by husband and wife Alvar and Aino Aalto alongside Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl. Their collective aim was to sell furniture and “promote a modern culture of living by exhibitions and other educational means”. The name Artek combines the words ‘art’ and ‘technology’. These two concepts were central to the modernist movement Artek is considered part of.
6. C) How waterproof it is
An IP rating indicates how resistant a light is to water and dust. Typically for a light to be fully waterproof it should have an IP rating of over 65.
7. C) Christian Dell
German silversmith and lighting designer Christian Dell was foreman at the Bauhaus’ metal workshop in Weimar between 1922 and 1925. He went on to work at Frankfurt Art School until he was dismissed under pressure from the Nazi Party. It was then that Walter Gropius offered him a job in the USA. Dell decided to remain in Germany and opened his own jewellery shop after the war.
8. B) Mulberry
Known for its paper lanterns, the Japanese town of Gifu inspired the now-iconic Akari Lighting Collection. 75 years after they were first designed the lights are still crafted at a family-run workshop in Gifu. To create each light, a bamboo rod frame is crafted using Noguchi’s original wooden moulds. Then, the light is finished with strips of hand-pressed Shoji paper.
9. A) Wood
Tom Raffield is a Cornish designer who specialises in steam-bending wood. His modern designs include lighting, furniture and home accessories. Alongside his team, Raffield crafts each design in his Cornish workshop. Read more about Tom Raffield here.
10. A) Husband and wife
The iconic duo met at Michigan’s renowned Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1940. They met when Ray, who studied painting, was asked to help prepare drawings for Charles’ project with his friend Eero Saarinen. Charles became instantly besotted with Ray and proposed via letter soon after. Together they helped advance modern architecture and furniture to iconic status.