Pierre Paulin had his debut exhibition at the Salon des arts ménagers in 1953, and shortly afterwards, he became a freelance designer for Artifort. This marked the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration. Working at Artifort he would become famous with his Mushroom chair (1960).

What makes his designs so distinctive is their striking sculptural shape, which earned Paulin many prizes worldwide. His work remains timeless and progressive today. This is not form for form’s sake but applied design, with comfort as the constant starting-point.

“A chair should be more than simply functional”

Artifort still includes many of Paulin’s iconic designs (from the 1960s and 70s) in its permanent collection and his work can be seen in museums throughout the world.

Apart from furniture, Paulin also designed interiors for the French presidents Pompidou and Mitterrand in the Elysée Palace in Paris and French president Sarkozy honoured him as ‘the man who made design an art’. In November 2009, Paulin was posthumously awarded the distinction of “Royal Designer for Industry” (RDI).

“My favourite design is the one to come, either by me or by a future generation”

If you’d like to know more about any of Paulin’s designs for Artifort please get in touch – we’d love to chat!