The architect Pierre Guariche was one of the leading modern furniture and lighting designers of postwar France. Guariche can, in some ways, be thought of as the French version of Charles Eames: with his lean and angular chairs and slender, sculptural table lamps, he helped introduce a new aesthetic to the country’s interiors — and he was an eager pioneer in the use of new industrial materials and production techniques that emerged in the 1950s.
Guariche studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (the national design academy) under René Gabriel — a designer known for his quality, mass-produced furnishings, who served as a director of the postwar Ministry of Reconstruction. Two years after graduating in 1949, Guariche opened his own design firm, and he was soon creating pieces for numerous companies, including the lighting manufacturer Disderot.
Wood and metal were rationed in the years following the war and Guariche learned to do more with less. His chairs of the early 1950s include several designs with narrow, softly angular wooden frames; others, like the Tonneau chair, feature a single piece of molded plywood set atop metal legs. His lamps of the period are likely his best-known works. They include delicate compositions of slender steel tubes, and more flamboyant pieces such as the Kite lamp, with its curved metal reflector panel.
Always on the lookout for new materials, Guariche spent several years in the mid-1950s operating a firm making furniture in fiberglass and other plastics, along with Joseph André Motte and others. After 1957 — when Guariche was named head of design for the Belgian company Meurop and given a brief to create stylish, up-to-date chairs and cabinets — he began to look to America for ideas.
In the mid-1960s, Guariche produced several lines of deeply upholstered, rounded lounge chairs inspired by the Space Age look, and gave them names like Jupiter, Polaris and Luna. While Guariche always kept pace with his times, throughout his career he showed a consistent talent for producing elegant, eye-catching forms using a minimum of materials.
Find vintage Pierre Guariche furniture today on 1stDibs.
Pair, Pierre Guariche French Black Benches Steel & Distressed Faux Leather 1960
By Pierre Guariche
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Pierre Guariche French black benches or stools in steel & distressed faux leather 1960 designed. Hand stitched Faux Leather with rivets decoration. In all original distress...
Steel
Pair of armchairs with wooden frames and chenille upholstery - Pierre Guariche -
By Pierre Guariche
Located in Madrid, España
Pair of armchairs with wooden frames and chenille upholstery - Pierre Guariche - for Les Huchers-Minivielle c. 1960 - France Dimensions: 69 x 70 x 70 cm
Wood
Sleek Black Leather Bench Designed by Milo Baughman
By Milo Baughman
Located in Dallas, TX
Clean lined bench designed by Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin. Newly upholstered black leather seat; tufting and piping add visual interest. With conical gold legs. Perfect for extra...
Wood
Italian Long Bench, Solid Brass Legs, Chenille Upholstery, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Italian Long Bench With Solid Brass Legs. Newly upholstered in Chenille with buttons and welting. Legs are cast and hand polished (light and dark spots are reflection only). Overall ...
Brass
$4,013
H 41.34 in W 48.04 in D 20.87 in
Contemporary Wooden Bench with Triple Circular Backrest Bouclé Upholstery, Italy
Located in Ibiza, Spain
Architecturally refined and rooted in artisanal tradition, this contemporary bench is meticulously crafted from solid oak wood and upholstered in premium wool bouclé, offering a soph...
Bouclé, Wood
Marc Bankowsky, Bronze and leather bench, France, 2006
By Marc Bankowsky
Located in New York, NY
A four legged piece in bronze and leather, perfect as a seat or an ottoman. Size and upholstery are customizable upon request. Marc studied at L’école Nationale Supérieure des Arts ...
Bronze
$15,900 / set
H 18 in W 20 in D 15.75 in
Pair of French Bronzed Iron Stools / Benches after Jean Michel Frank
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in New York, NY
Elegant pair of stools / benches in bronzed wrought iron in the modern neoclassical taste expressed by Jean Michel Frank. The wrought iron frame is in the Classic X form and the apro...
Wrought Iron
$7,900 / set
H 17.5 in W 18 in D 14 in
Pair of French Modern Neoclassical Stools / Benches Attributed to Andre Arbus
By André Arbus
Located in New York, NY
Elegant, Sober and Timeless Pair of French Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical benches or stools with needle point seats attributed to Andre Arbus. The benches are in the Curile form and...
Hardwood
$1,148Sale Price|25% Off
H 27.96 in W 28.75 in D 24.41 in
Armchair G1 de Pierre Guariche, Airborne 1950
By Pierre Guariche
Located in Paris, FR
Armchair model G1 by Pierre Guariche - Airborne Edition - 50s. White metal structure (wear traces of use in the photos) - redone yellow canvas cover.
Metal
$1,695 / set
H 17 in W 23.25 in D 16.5 in
Antique French Benches, Wood and Velvet, X-Stretcher Design, 1960s
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Pair of rectangle shaped benches with semi matte dark brown lacquered X-stretcher bases. Newly covered with burnt orange and gold diamond pattern velvet fabric. The handsome pair fit...
Upholstery, Wood
$9,950 / set
H 18 in W 18 in D 14 in
French Modern Neoclassical Mahogany & Leather Benches/ Stools, Andre Arbus, Pair
By André Arbus
Located in New York, NY
Elegant, timeless pair of French Mid-Century Modern neoclassical mahogany and leather benches or stools attributed to Andre Arbus, circa 1930. The pieces feature Classic X-frame leg ...
Leather, Mahogany
$21,381 / set
H 27.2 in W 21.6 in D 14.5 in
Set of 3 Counter Stool, Contemporary Design, Black Steel & Black Leather
By Jover + Valls
Located in Alcoy, Alicante
The Wanderlust contemporary counter stool belongs to a collection of minimalist and serene pieces where exclusivity and precision are shown in small details such as the hand-turned m...
Steel
Pierre Guariche Vintage SK660 Armchairs Chairs
By Pierre Guariche, Steiner
Located in Lège Cap Ferret, FR
Pierre Guariche was born in 1926, son of a family of Parisian goldsmiths. He studied at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs, where he was taught by René Gabriel. He graduated in the Spring of 1949. He became a member of the Union des artistes modernes (UAM). He joined the studio of another of his teachers, Marcel Gascoin. He began to exhibit his own work in the Salon des Arts Ménagers and the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs.[1] In the period after World War II (1939–1945) there was increased interest in using new methods and materials for mass production of furniture. Manufacturers of materials such as formica, plywood, aluminum, and steel sponsored the salons of the Société des artistes décorateurs. Designers who exhibited their experimental work at the salons in this period included Guariche, René-Jean Caillette, Joseph-André Motte, Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Antoine Philippon and Jacqueline Lecoq Beautiful pair of SK660...
Metal
Pair of Benches in Carved Oak, France, 1940s
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
Carved in quiet reverence from solid French oak, this pair of benches exudes pastoral strength and monastic simplicity. Each seat is cut from a single plank, the grain running fluidl...
Oak