# European design leaders

> Ten European design houses worth owning: Iittala, Marimekko, Vitra, Louis Poulsen, Fritz Hansen and more. Modern classics from the original workshops.

European design leaders worth saving up for | Euronomy

![Ciao](https://euronomy.eu/media/prjjzhhz/ciao.webp)

For a hundred years, the visual language of modern design has been written in Europe. The chair in your office is probably descended from Charles Eames (manufactured in Europe by Vitra), the lamp on your desk from Poul Henningsen (Louis Poulsen), the print on your kitchen towel from Marimekko, the shelving from Dieter Rams (Vitsoe).

These aren't simply famous design brands. They're the original sources of templates that mid-market manufacturers worldwide have been copying for half a century. Buying from them is the closest you'll come to owning the actual reference object, usually still made in the same Finnish, Danish, German, Swiss, or Italian workshop where it was first drawn.

Below: ten European design houses worth saving up for. Most have been at it for 60-150 years. Several are still family-owned.