Pierre Paulin Organic Modern Mushroom Lounge Chair
View Similar Items
Pierre Paulin Organic Modern Mushroom Lounge Chair
About the Item
- Creator:Artifort (Maker),Pierre Paulin (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 35 in (88.9 cm)Width: 40 in (101.6 cm)Depth: 32 in (81.28 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Great condition. Professionally upholstered in luxe plush nubby fabric.
- Seller Location:Houston, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU869420863132
Pierre Paulin
Pierre Paulin introduced a fresh breeze into French furniture design in the 1960s and ’70s, fostering a sleek new Space-Age aesthetic. Along with Olivier Mourgue, Paulin developed chairs, sofas, dining tables and other furnishings with flowing lines and almost surreal naturalistic forms. And his work became such a byword for chic, forward-looking design and emerging technologies that two French presidents commissioned him to create environments in the Élysée Palace in Paris.
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.
In 1971, the Mobilier National — a department of France’s Ministry of Culture in charge of furnishing top-tier government offices and embassies — commissioned Paulin to redesign President Georges Pompidou’s private apartment in the Élysée Palace. In three years, Paulin transformed the staid rooms into futuristic environments with curved, fabric-clad walls and furnishings such as bookcases made from an arrangement of smoked-glass U shapes, flower-like pedestal chairs and pumpkin-esque loungers.
Ten years later, the Mobilier National called on Paulin again, this time to furnish the private office of President François Mitterand. Paulin responded with an angular, postmodern take on neoclassical furniture, pieces that looked surprisingly at home in the paneled, Savonnerie-carpeted Louis XVI rooms. As those two Élysée Palace projects show, Paulin furniture works well both in a total decor or when used as a counterpoint to traditional pieces. His creations have a unique personality: bright and playful yet sophisticated and suave.
Find vintage Pierre Paulin lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Artifort
The sterling reputation that Artifort enjoys isn’t limited to the innovative upholstery and fluid, organic shapes for which its products are widely known — the legendary Dutch brand’s vintage seating and other furniture is also celebrated for its embodiment of functionality, comfort and quality. These are among the principles that underpin the philosophy toward modern furniture design at Artifort, which has been at the crossroads of furniture and art for over 125 years.
Prior to 1928, the year Artifort officially became a brand, Jules Wagemans had a small upholstery business in Maastricht, the Netherlands. After setting up in 1890, his son, Henricus Wagemans, broadened the scope of the company to include furniture production. By the end of the 1920s, their showroom in Amsterdam had made them a recognizable brand across the Netherlands.
Then named H. Wagemans & Van Tuien, the company changed its name to Artifort after the economic recession. Artifort came from two Latin words meaning “art” and “strong” — a perfect description for the style of each design and the manufacturer’s intention to create sturdy furnishings. Artifort’s reputation for durable armchairs and sofas endures, and vintage editions of this seating are now family heirlooms in many homes.
Artifort became a magnet for high-profile and up-and-coming designers alike. Many furniture designers’ careers began thanks to collaborations with Artifort, such as Dutch industrial and jewelry designer Gijs Bakker and Indonesian-born designer Kho Liang Ie. Also known for designing the interiors at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, Kho Liang Ie was an aesthetic consultant at Artifort and used his expertise to turn the company into a world-class brand. Perhaps his largest contribution, however, was attracting the talents of French furniture and interior designer Pierre Paulin and English furniture designer Geoffrey D. Harcourt.
Paulin’s bright and colorful lounge chairs, such as his Orange Slice chair and Mushroom chair, are still central to the Artifort identity. 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, while Harcourt deserves credit for popularizing Artifort internationally and extending their reach into foreign markets.
Another talent boom in the 1990s at Artifort yielded collaborations with Jasper Morrison, Wolfgang Mezger and René Holten. Iranian designer Khodi Feiz was named art director in 2014 and has continued the tradition of recruiting top designers such as Claesson Koivisto Rune, Ilse Crawford and Luca Nichetto.
Find a collection of vintage Artifort lounge chairs, tables and more on 1stDibs.
- Post Modern Vladimir Kagan for Directional Style Swivel Lounge ChairBy Directional, Milo Baughman, Vladimir KaganLocated in Houston, TXPost Modern Vladimir Kagan for Directional swivel lounge chair. This unusual iconic Kagan swivel chair has a high b...Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsBouclé
$3,360 Sale Price20% Off - Circular Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin Swivel Lounge ChairBy Milo Baughman, Thayer CogginLocated in Houston, TXCircular Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin swivel lounge chair. This Gorgeous Milo Baughman oversized circular swivel lounge chair has ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsMohair
- Mid-Century Modern Milo Baughman Style Swivel ChairBy Milo BaughmanLocated in Houston, TXMid-Century Modern Milo Baughman style swivel chair. This shapely midcentury swivel chair has been newly upholstered in a beautiful steel blue mohair fabric. Comfortable and stunnin...Category
Vintage 1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- French Mid-Century Modern Ottoman or Bench Attributed To Pierre PaulinBy Maison Jansen, Artifort, Roche Bobois, Pierre Paulin, Gio PontiLocated in Houston, TXFrench Mid-Century Modern Ottoman Or Bench Attributed To Pierre Paulin. Unusual French modern ottoman, pouf, stool or bench with a walnut base u...Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
MaterialsBouclé, Walnut
- French Modern André Arbus Style Lounge ChairBy Milo Baughman, Jules Leleu, Maison Dominique, Maurice Dufrêne, André ArbusLocated in Houston, TXFrench modern André Arbus style lounge chair. This shapely French midcentury lounge chair is French design at its best. Large and comfortable with ta...Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair Of Italian Modern Sculptural Lounge ChairsBy ISA Bergamo, Minotti, Paolo Buffa, Gio Ponti, Marco ZanusoLocated in Houston, TXPair Of Italian Modern Sculptural Lounge Chairs. This lovely pair of mid century modern shapely lounge chairs, side chairs or occasional chairs with splayed legs are both stylish and...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBrass, Iron
$4,950 / set
- Customizable Artifort Mushroom Lounge Chair by Pierre PaulinBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in New York, NYThe Mushroom armchair is one of the world’s most famous designs. Designer Pierre Paulin distinguished himself with this armchair in the original shape, bright colors and revolutionar...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Armchairs
MaterialsTextile
- Customizable Artifort Mushroom Lounge Chair by Pierre PaulinBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in New York, NYThe mushroom armchair is one of the world’s most famous designs. Designer Pierre Paulin distinguished himself with this armchair in the original shape, bright colours and revolutiona...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Armchairs
MaterialsTextile
- Customizable Artifort Tulip Midi Armchair by Pierre PaulinBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in New York, NYVinyl The Tulip Midi was the missing member of the Tulip family for a long time. The armchair was designed by Pierre Paulin in 1960 and now completes the Tu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsTextile
- Customizable Artifort Big Mushroom Lounge Chair by Pierre PaulinBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in New York, NYA design that is so clearly Artifort as the mushroom is something that’s dear to our hearts. Designer Pierre Paulin distinguished himself with this armchair in the original shape, bright colours and revolutionary manufacturing technique for the time. The idea for the mushroom came to Pierre Paulin while he was watching women, shaped and sheathed in their swimming suits. He wanted the same thing for a seat. The inspiration can be found in the beautiful curves as well as in the seamless one-piece elastic fabric. The mushroom is the first piece of furniture that is manufactured with an seamless one-piece elastic cover method. Its original shape will mark the furniture of the 60s by inspiring many other creations with sculptural forms. Today, the seat is part of the permanent collection of MoMa (The Museum of Modern Art in New York). The round shapes and comfortable padding are a perfect match with bright colours for an original and trendy effect. This iconic armchair was once launched as the F562, and has been re-launched as big mushroom...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Armchairs
MaterialsTextile
- Artifort Mushroom Lounge Chair by Pierre Paulin in STOCKBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in New York, NYMushroom medium chair Tonus 135 category CC The Mushroom armchair is one of the world’s most famous designs. Designer Pierre Paulin distinguished himself with this armchair in the original shape, bright colours and revolutionary manufacturing technique for the time. The idea for the Mushroom came to Pierre Paulin while he was watching women...Category
2010s Dutch Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Artifort Black Mushroom Lounge Chair by Pierre Paulin in STOCKBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in New York, NYMushroom medium F 560 The Mushroom armchair is one of the world’s most famous designs. Designer Pierre Paulin distinguished himself with this armchair in the original shape, bright colours and revolutionary manufacturing technique for the time. The idea for the Mushroom came to Pierre Paulin while he was watching women...Category
2010s Dutch Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric
$2,378 Sale Price39% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
At Château La Coste, Pierre Paulin’s Visionary Home Concept Finally Comes to Life
Now synonymous with 1960s and ’70s French chic, the designer conceived his modular modernist furnishings to change the way we decorate.
Exploring Our Current Obsession with Sixties Style
A new exhibition in Philadelphia stars a complex decade that continues to inspire.