Pierre Paulin F675 Butterfly chairs Artifort Netherlands 1963

Pierre Paulin

France, 1927 – 2009
Interior, designer

Striking pair of model F675 chairs designed by Pierre Paulin and manufactured by Artifort, The Netherlands 1963. These chairs have nickel-plated geometric frames that are visually stunning! The minimalistic frames against the rich and thick cognac leather seats, which have a fantastic patina, creates a truly unique and eye-catching contrast. Made with great attention to detail, the leather is wrapped and stitched around the sides of the frames. The sling seat and back are designed to hang freely maximizing comfort. An iconic feature of these chairs are the x-base frames which are not only visually pleasing but also lightweight. Truly unique set of chairs in a fantastic condition and ready for multiple decades of use and comfort.

Kindly note that the chairs are priced and sold in a set of 2.

Literature; Pierre Paulin designer Archibooks 2008.

Pierre Paulin was born in Paris in 1927, he had a French father and a German-speaking Swiss mother. He trained to be a ceramist in Vallauris and then a stone-carver in Burgundy but got into a fight and injured his right arm ending his dreams as a sculptor, forcing him to switch gears to design and study at École Camondo in Paris. Relations with the Gascoin company, he would gain interest in Scandinavian and Japanese design which would influence his works later on. Pierre Paulin had his debut exhibition at the Salon des arts ménagers in 1953. Afterwards, he would appear on the cover of the magazine La Maison Francaise. A year later he would be employed by the Thonet company and began experimenting with stretching swimwear materials over traditionally made chairs.

Around 4 years later he would join the Maastricht-based Dutch manufacturers Artifort where he is best known for his innovative designs as the Mushroom Chair (1959), the Ribbon Chair (1966) and the Tongue chair (1968) that used foams and metallic frames with stretch materials and clear lines that cradled the body. The combination of these materials made Paulin’s chair designs rounder, and comfortable shapes that are still being used in chairs today. At his time working for Artifort, Paulin quoted “It represented the first full expression of my abilities. I considered the manufacture of chairs to be rather primitive and I was trying to think up new processes” he said in 2008. Paulin was also highly influential and involved in French design through the 1970s. Clearly influenced by his training as a sculptor and his German roots as well as the work of early modernists, Paulin was even more impacted by the work of George Nelson and Charles Eames and the significance of the social component of modern design. Read more…