There seems to be no bounds to the creativity in modern design. While some designers look to geometric or abstract forms, others turn to nature as a muse. Animals, for example, have inspired some of the most iconic designs in furniture and home wares. Featured below are examples which prove that looking to nature can spark designs that are inventive, whimsical, and yet functional.

This sleek coffee table is inspired by the silhouette of a bird, a recurring theme in the work of Italian designer Tapio Wirkkala who is also a sculptor. The workmanship features layers of cut birch wood in varying thickness, creating a sinuous shape that is symmetrical, abstract and unique.

Founded in 1973, Fiam Italia is a global design company renowned for its innovative use of glass to create objects that are functional and beautiful such as this umbrella stand which takes the sinuous form of a cobra.

China-born designer Arthur Xin reveals in whimsical designs that never fail to delight the senses. This ‘ostrich’ magnetic pin is one example. Another is his ice-cube fish tank (pictured below) that gives the allusion that your fishes are swimming in frozen waters.

The iconic ‘Swan chair’ by the famed Danish designer, Arne Jacobsen takes inspiration from the silhouette of a graceful swan. Aesthetics aside, the chair was an innovation ahead of its time. Made with no straight lines typical for most chairs, it uses only curves to hold it’s shape. Since the time the chair was introduced, it has graced lobbies, lounges and homes around the world and remains timeless even today.

Looking like a stuff baby woolly mammoth, the Woolly Bella Chair is designed by avant-garde firm, Videre Licet based in Los Angeles. The chair was imagined as a tribute to midcentury European design to bring a touch of Hollywood glamour to classy modern homes. Available in black or white with legs hand-cast in solid bronze.

This attention-grabbing table lamp is cast in the shape of an anteater. It was designed in the 1970s by the famed Murano glass artist, Lino Tagliapietra who also created the iconic “Dinosaur” series of sculptures, two of which are shown below.