Pierre Paulin Sofas
With their cushy organic forms sheathed in stretchy swimwear fabric in Pop art colors and mod patterns, vintage Pierre Paulin sofas and chairs have a fresh and bouncy charm still evocative of the freewheeling days of the 1960s. Even the names of the designs — Mushroom, Oyster, Orange Slice, Tulip and Tongue — have a sybaritic ring. In many minds, Paulin is forever the Designer as Swinger.
Pierre Paulin created a range of sofas and other seating for the likes of Artifort and Mobilier International. His Élysée sofa, which is part of a collection that was originally conceived for one of two Élysée Palace projects during the early 1970s, was later reintroduced by Ligne Roset from the designer’s archived plans (British housewares retailer Habitat reissued other Paulin seating under Tom Dixon's artistic direction). Mid-century modern furniture and Space Age design enthusiasts also know Paulin for his low-slung Dune sofa, — a favorite of musician Frank Ocean. The acclaimed seating collection features four different interchangeable modules for a custom arrangement.
Paulin was born in Paris to a family of artists and designers. He initially sought to become a ceramist and sculptor and was studying in the town of Vallauris near the Côte d'Azur — a center for pottery making, where Pablo Picasso spent his postwar summers crafting ceramics — but broke his hand in a fight. He enrolled at the École Camondo, the Paris interior design school. There, Paulin was strongly influenced by the work of Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Arne Jacobsen, as was reflected in his early creations for the manufacturer Thonet-France.
It was at the Dutch firm Artifort, which he joined in 1958, where Paulin blossomed. In a few years, he produced several of his signature designs based on abstract organic shapes. These include the Butterfly chair (1963), which features a tubular steel frame and slung leather, and a group of striking seating pieces made with steel frames covered in polyurethane foam and tight jersey fabric: the Mushroom (1960), Ribbon (1966) and Tongue (1967) chairs. The revered designer not only introduced new construction techniques to Artifort furniture but contributed fresh materials, Pop art colors and dazzling shapes to the mid-century modern era as a whole.
Find vintage Pierre Paulin couches, armchairs, lounge chairs and other seating for sale on 1stDibs.
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Velvet
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Metal
1960s Dutch Space Age Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Fabric, Fiberglass, Foam
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Velvet
Early 2000s European Mid-Century Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Velvet
20th Century Italian Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Fabric, Foam
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Metal
20th Century Italian Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Upholstery
2010s Danish Pierre Paulin Sofas
Textile
20th Century Dutch Pierre Paulin Sofas
Fabric
Late 20th Century Dutch Pierre Paulin Sofas
Angora, Mohair, Goat Hair
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Metal
20th Century Italian Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Metal
2010s French Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Fabric, Foam
Mid-20th Century Pierre Paulin Sofas
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
2010s Danish Pierre Paulin Sofas
Textile
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Steel
20th Century Italian Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
20th Century Italian Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Upholstery
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Metal
20th Century Italian Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
2010s Danish Pierre Paulin Sofas
Textile
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Steel
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Steel
1990s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Fabric
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Steel
Early 2000s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Pierre Paulin Sofas
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
20th Century Pierre Paulin Sofas
Fabric
Mid-20th Century French Minimalist Pierre Paulin Sofas
Chrome
2010s Danish Pierre Paulin Sofas
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Paulin Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pierre Paulin Sofas
Wool, Nylon, Polyester