Michel Ducaroy writing desk SNA Roset France 1950

Rare desk which is an early design by Michel Ducaroy for SNA Roset, France 1950. SNA Roset, later became Ligne Roset. The desk is made from solid mahogany with a rich warm red/brown hue. The desk is set up as following. Standing on four slightly tapered feet, the desk has a wide first top with a golden webbing. The second top is made of glass and provides a nice contrast to the mahogany base. A fun feature is the overhanging section on the right side of the desk that offers extra space for books or small items. The upward-facing side makes it a nice and playful design. The glass top is secured by small brass clamps at the corners. Brass screws are subtly visible in multiple places and are a beautiful detail. With its small size this desk is ideal for various settings, from home offices to hallways. The desk is in excellent condition. The chair on the pictures is not included in this listing.

Michel Ducaroy was born in 1925, into a family of designers and furniture makers whose activities were split between private houses and larger-scale contracts (liners, exhibitions, official buildings). Drawing from his background he trained at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Lyon, and in the family business, before branching out alone as an independent designer in 1952. Since his first contact with the Roset company in 1954, Michel Ducaroy has rapidly become one of their most integral designers. In the early days of Ligne Roset he was by far one of the company’s key attributes in pushing the technological boundaries. In 1968 he designed one of the first modular all-foam chairs, the low-sitting Adria, and then amongst others Kashima and Safi, which had large cushions on a frame of altuglass. It was in 1973, that he designed the now iconic Togo.