Modern Icons: Pierre Paulin Chairs
Sculptural, colorful and decidedly playful, Pierre Paulin's chairs have wowed everyone from French presidents to suburban decorators
An orange slice, a pumpkin, a ribbon and a tongue. These four things have one thing in common: They all served as inspiration for sculptural chairs designed by Pierre Paulin (1927–2009). Their shapes and volumes are futuristic with a midcentury modern spirit. Some appear to be cut from solid volumes; others look like upholstered origami; some even swipe their geometry from fruit and fungi. The common thread is that they are soft and sculptural, and your intrepid guests will make a beeline for them when choosing a seat.
Speaking of intrepid, the man behind these chairs designed furniture since the midcentury era (hence the aforementioned spirit), for people including French presidents Georges Pompidou and Francois Mitterrand. Upon Paulin's death in 2009, then-president Nicholas Sarkozy paid tribute, saying, "He made design into an art form. ... The beauty of his work spread far and wide, from the furniture of the presidential palace to the daily lives of millions." Museum curators at MoMA and The Victoria and Albert Museum also hold Paulin in high esteem and have added his designs to their collections.
Speaking of intrepid, the man behind these chairs designed furniture since the midcentury era (hence the aforementioned spirit), for people including French presidents Georges Pompidou and Francois Mitterrand. Upon Paulin's death in 2009, then-president Nicholas Sarkozy paid tribute, saying, "He made design into an art form. ... The beauty of his work spread far and wide, from the furniture of the presidential palace to the daily lives of millions." Museum curators at MoMA and The Victoria and Albert Museum also hold Paulin in high esteem and have added his designs to their collections.
Pierre Paulin Tongue Chairs
Paulin said, "A chair should be more than simply functional. It should be friendly, fun and colorful." These Tongue Chairs certainly fit the bill.
Paulin's Pumpkin Chair appears to be carved from a cylinder. It's a playful piece that's perfect for children ...
... and fun-loving adults alike. It looks like a grown-up bean bag.
The Pumpkin Chair is an unexpected occasional chair in this bedroom.
The Ribbon Chair is a different kind of sculpture, emerging from a stand and wrapping itself around the the person sitting on it. Paulin admired Japanese design, and the Ribbon Chair has an origami-like form.
The Orange Slice Chair is one of the most popular of Paulin's designs. It adds a comfortable, modern touch to this nursery.
Amsterdam blogger Kaylovesvintage added an Orange Slice Chair to her well-curated vintage furniture collection.
The photography of this room by Griffin Enright Architects shows how the chairs transform depending on your perspective. From the back, you're intrigued by what the chair looks like but can't quite tell.
The side view reveals the unique silhouette, which is curved, deep and beckoning you to come test its comfort.
From the front, the view looks more flat and round, and the separation between the slices is not that visible.
One Orange Slice Chair will add all the curves you need to the predominantly rectilinear edges in a modern room.
The shape of the Orange Slice plays nice with the curves of a Noguchi coffee table.
This brilliant raspberry number is Paulin's Globe Chair. Using bold color is another one of his signature moves.