An apparel retailer long ago whipped up the idea of an “investment piece.” You know, the kind of fashion item you’ll have for a lifetime—something that won’t pill, fade, stretch, shrink or ever look sad or dated. Women pride themselves on the purchase of, for example, a little black dress. To many, it’s an act of restraint and sartorial prowess—an investment, really. Its acronym says business; is an LBD really so different from a CD or an IRA?
Furniture marketers have never come up with a campaign as clever. Instead, the industry relies on interior designers to help homeowners part with their money. With New Yorkers enjoying an uncharacteristic “saving” moment, we asked top interior designers to list the LBDs of design: home and furniture items that promise to be versatile, timeless and effortless— purchases that’ll never induce guilt, nor feel at all snug after the holidays.

A T-Shirt Sofa
“Almost every project I’ve ever done has included a clean-lined, linen- slip-covered basic sofa,” says Anthony Cochran, who, in addition to decorating, designs furniture for Q Collection. “Like a white T-shirt can be Hanes or Calvin Klein, the sofa can be from a custom upholsterer or from Crate & Barrel.” Designer Clodagh recently named one of her sofas the T-Shirt Sofa (trade only, price upon request). “It goes with antiques or modern furniture, and it has thick arms, which are a good place to perch,” explains Dennis Miller, who runs an eponymous showroom where the sofa is a best seller. “Buy at this price level, versus from a retailer, for the construction. It’ll last 20 years, and when you tire of the fabric, you can reupholster it.” Still, Cochran, whose client roster includes red-carpet regulars, doesn’t snub sofas from that furniture- seller-to-the-plebes. He names one fancy client whose Crate & Barrel Willow sofa (from $1,699) has nine lives, having moved from the living room to the nanny’s room to the kid’s room and now to the gym.

A Set of Sheets
“A $3,000 set of sheets really rewards whoever gets in the bed,” says decorator Marshall Watson. “And if you’re tossing and turning, they’ll keep you cool, calm and collected. It’s a great investment.” Thread counts are staggering these days, but Sferra and other high-end brands now say numbers are meaningless—it’s about the quality of the cotton. For the same price as a fancy off-the-rack sheet set, you can make like interior designer Amy Lau and customize the color and embroidery of your sheets from Casa Del Bianco, a small Italian manufacturer, which can deliver a set of its popular 500-thread-count cotton percale (around $660 for queen-size) in under a month. Magenta monograms do not LBDs make, but only your loved ones—and lovers—will ever see it.

A Cool Rug
Madeline Weinrib’s Tibet-inspired flat-weave rugs are so popular they’re practically a cliché, but a zebra hide is more outlandish and irresistible. “Zebra rugs are chic and versatile,” says Lilly Weekes, a decorator with McMillen Inc. “I prefer the real thing, but I also love the needlepoint version from Dransfield & Ross ($1,200), which is a little softer-feeling than a hide.” The original of this fake-out was schemed up by legendary decorator Albert Hadley, who used them liberally à la Coco Chanel. To ratchet up the sex appeal, Weekes suggests commissioning a custom-colored version from Martin Patrick Evan (trade only, price upon request).

A Notice-Me Lamp
A room inhabited by so many four-legged creatures (chairs, sofas, that zebra hide) should invite a tripod standing lamp to shake things up. There’s a three-legged style for every type of person, but only two you should consider. Those with a closet packed with Carhartt and Barbour—but living in a city loft that makes Nor’easters a nonissue— will gravitate toward the heavy-duty industrial version, like a nautical search lamp, which are in regular rotation on 1stdibs.com. A more elegant option—think shapely Shaker—is the Tripod Lamp ($3,200) from BDDW, hand-carved and turned from Oregon walnut. It’s a favorite of designer Paul Siskin, who has used this style in various interiors. “Place the lamp next to a sofa and that’s immediately where you’ll gravitate,” he notes. “That pool of light is just so inviting.”

A Quiet Coffee Table
“The coffee table is among the hardest-working pieces of furniture you’ll own,” says designer Elaine Griffin, whose book Design Rules (Gotham) debuted last month. “They’re drink-holders, bookcases, footrests and display units.” The tendency for these surfaces to look busy drives designers like Griffin to choose a straightforward profile, such as a Parsons table, which is sold just about everywhere. If you fancy a footstool that masquerades as a table, opt for a George Smith upholstered ottoman (from $2,440) instead. A heavy tray can corral books and beverages and be removed when a party necessitates extra seating.

An Iconic Dining Table
If you’re not a natural-born host or aren’t tethered to a 5:30pm nuclear-family sit- down dinner, you’re not the target demo for purchasing a jaw-dropping dining table. But buy one and chances are your hosting instincts will kick in—pronto. Elizabeth Bauer, who runs a design shop on Greenwich Avenue, owns a mod steel-base Platner table with a 54-inch glass top, which seats four to six. “If I move to a larger place, it can become my kitchen or breakfast table,” she says, “or I can put a 60-inch top on it to seat more guests.” Countless designers name the ubiquitous Saarinen Tulip table (new, from $3,085) as the ultimate in versatility. Why is it so damn perfect? David Branham, buyer for The Conran Shop, where the table is a top seller, says. “Let’s face it: with no legs at the edges to bump into and a beautiful slab of marble to look at, it’s just nice. Maybe its appeal is as simple as that.”