[Seimi Furniture - 1029th period]

With summer officially underway, bright colors are instantly noticeable and welcome. Especially when they spell out everything summer-related, the fresh combination of orange and navy is all about sunny days, lazy afternoons, water and fresh fruit. This elegant and luxurious summer-cool combination embodies the characteristics of summer very well, especially when it is cleverly applied to furniture that expresses modern design. That’s the Orange Slice Chair and ABCD Sofa designed by Pierre Paulin for Artifort .

Orange Slice Chair by Pierre Paulin for Artifort

The Orange Slice Chair has a fresh and playful character. Made in the Netherlands by Artifort in 1960 and designed by the legendary Pierre Paulin, the Orange Slice Chair continues to fascinate modern furniture enthusiasts around the world and is often used in residential as well as commercial spaces such as hotels, restaurants, lounges, waiting areas, etc. Whether paired with a complimentary foot rest, grouped together or used alone, the Orange Slice Chair by Pierre Paulin showcases its lively personality in different viewing angles, designed to accommodate multiple stages of relaxation.

The Orange Slice Chair is composed of two identical pressed beech wood shells covered in foam on a four-legged chrome metal frame. Orange Slice Chair options include 24 Atlantic fabrics, 60 Tonus fabrics, 57 Divina fabrics, 29 Bergamo fabrics and 60 Ohmann leather series 1012.

Orange Slice Chair

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Stunning ABCD lounge sofas, designed by Pierre Paulin and manufactured by Artifort, Holland 1968. These sofas have been completely restored to their original appearance with new foam and upholstery in the original three shades of Kvadrat Tonus fabric.

ABCD Sofa

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Pierre Paulin | Capturing the world’s imagination with his unique vision

Pierre Paulin, known as the father of modern design, is an industrial and architectural designer who has been renowned in the French design world for half a century. The furniture he designed is comparable to works of art and is collected by many world-renowned museums. His furniture still decorates the Elysee Palace in Paris. Former French President Sarkozy once praised him for turning furniture design into an art form.

Pierre Paulin was born in Paris in 1927. Influenced by the charisma of his uncle Georges Paulin in his early childhood, Pierre Paulin always dreamed of leaving the working-class life in northern France. He knew that if he wanted to achieve success, he needed to be creative and have the courage to go beyond the beaten path.

Another person who had a great influence on his life was his great uncle and sculptor Freddy Balthazar Stoll. His sculptures deeply inspired Pierre Paulin's imagination and his sensitivity to art, laying a solid professional foundation for the sculptural forms presented in his future works.

Fredy Balthazar Stoll (left) Pierre Paulin 's sculptor uncle

In the 1950s, Pierre Paulin worked in the Netherlands, Germany, Japan and the United States. His global travels and the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures made him an avant-garde designer with an international vision and foresight.

In the field of soft furniture design, Pierre Paulin is a well-deserved pioneer. Sculptural, rounded corners and bright colors are the main features of Pierre Paulin's designs. The shapes of the seats he designed are either mushroom-like or tongue-like, allowing people to find comfort in life from the perfect combination of sculptural and functional qualities.

Paulin numbered the furniture he designed in order to remember the material and technical development of his works. Many of his designs are collected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
For half a century, Paulin has captured the world's imagination with his unique vision and left behind many masterpieces of the times.
In 1959, Paulin designed the Globe Chair No. F422 at the age of 32, and then in 1960 he designed the Little Globe Chair No. F427 , which has an elegant prototype stainless steel base and a smooth shell shape.

In 1960, Paulin designed the Orange slice chair, numbered F437.

F163, Little Tulip, designed in 1965. The armrests are slightly curved compared to the orange slice armrests, and the chair legs have become single legs.

F545, Tulip chair, was designed in 1965. What distinguishes it from F163 (little tulip) is that it has a backrest.

In 1963, Paulin designed a series of colorful mushroom chairs (Mushroom pouff) . He said: "A chair should be more than simply functional. It should be friendly, fun and colorful."

In 1963, he also designed the Butterfly chair with a metal frame and cowhide structure , numbered F675. This may be his more successful attempt besides elastic fabrics.

In fact, Paulin created the classic shape in 1966. In this year, he designed the Ribbon Chair , which was still manufactured by Artifort and numbered F582. It has a footstool. The Ribbon Chair has a metal frame, with transverse springs, padded sponge, elastic fabric covering, and a metal base. This chair, which is almost like a work of art, won the 1968 AID (Association of Industrial Design Award) and established Paulin's status.

In 1967, Paulin designed the famous Tongue Chair , numbered F577. The chair has a variety of colors and very smooth lines, and can be stacked and combined. This chair is made of fiberglass, with a metal frame, covered with elastic fabric, and has three protective feet to prevent wear. The "Tongue Chair" has become one of Paulin's most representative works.

In 1969, Paulin designed a multi-person sofa named ABCD . It comes in two types: two-person and three-person. It uses zebra-print fabric and has beautiful curves.

In 1967, Paulin designed the chair “Le Chat” , which fits the body very well. It is like a smooth curve drawn by the designer, starting from one point, quickly reaching another point and then falling down, ready to fly, reflecting the master’s pursuit of smooth curves.

Pumpkin 2008

This piece of furniture was originally designed in 1971 for the Elysee Palace, the private residence of French President Pompidou and his wife (Claude & Georges Pompidou). In 2008, the company redesigned and produced this furniture. The Pumpkin Sofa is Paulin's revolutionary furniture style, and its comfort is self-evident.

presented at the milan furniture fair in 2009, pierre paulin’s ‘elysee’ collection consists of a shelf and a chair called ‘flower fume’ .

Pierre Paulin died on June 14, 2009 in Montpellier, France, at the age of 81.

　　For half a century, Pierre Paulin has captured the world's imagination with his unique vision and left behind many classics of the times. His works have long gone beyond the functional scope and become an art form, bringing more creativity and unlimited possibilities to modern home spaces.