Pierre Paulin Tulip Chairs Pair of by Artifort Circa 2000

Tulip Chairs by Pierre Paulin by Artifort Netherlands Circa 2000

Mid century design classic, a pair of stunning ‘Little Tulip’ chairs, designed by Pierre Paulin for Artifort circa 2000, labelled on revolving stands, the chairs finished in a vibrant pink raised on polished steel stands
Little Tulip, Like a blossoming flower…………

The Little Tulip meeting and dining chair for Artifort…. as if designer Pierre Paulin had premonitions of Flower Power! The simple Little Tulip designchair spreads its half-open petals around the sitter. Delicate, cheerful, light, inviting and warming at the same time. The Little Tulip looks beautiful at a dining table and inspiring in a meeting room. Elegance through and through.

Strong, yet comfortable, this flower-inspired little chair wraps around the occupant to provide a pleasing place to relax.

Pierre Paulin (1927 - 2009) was a French designer of furniture and interiors. The distinctive sculptural organic curves of his designs and their signature use of colour and new materials were to prove highly influential.

Paulin originally trained as a ceramicist and then as a stone-mason before embarking on a career as a designer of furniture. He joined the Thonet company in 1955 and began to experiment with stretching swimwear fabric over traditionally-made chair frames in order to achieve the curvaceous forms he aspired to. "A chair should be more than simply functional," Paulin observed. "It should be friendly, fun and colourful."

In 1958 he joined Dutch furniture company Artifort, and here established a name for himself with a range of innovative designs including the Mushroom chair and the Orange slice chair. Looking back on his early collaborations with Artifort, Paulin commented: "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."

Paulin's experimentation with new foams and rubbers set around a lightweight metal frame and upholstered in stretch material produced the rounded organic forms that were to prove both widely popular and influential.

During the 1970s Paulin was commissioned to furnish the private quarters of Georges Pompidou in the Élysée Palace and in the 80s was invited to fit out the office of François Mitterrand. He also redesigned the interior of the Denon Wing at the Louvre, rooms in Paris City Hall and the assembly hall of the Economic and Social Council in Paris.

Paulin died in Montpellier in 2009.
Dutch firm Artifort has its origins in a furniture and upholstery company established by the Wagemans family in Maastricht. By the 1930s the company had already acquired its distinctive name (derived from the latin words for art or knowledge and strength or power) and a reputation for functionality, comfort and design. But it was with the arrival of designer Who Liang Le in the 1960s that the company established a position at the forefront of international design.

Kho Liang Ie recruited the French Designer Pierre Paulin and together the pair worked on a series of iconic products such as the Orange Slice and Tongue chairs and the C684 Sofa, all of which capture the sensibility of the late 60s and 70s while remaining perennial favourites to this day. Other designers collaborating with Artifort at this time include Geoffrey Harcourt whose monumental Chaise Longue is another modern classic.

At once playful and rigorous, Artifort furniture is notable for its use of colour and form and has been included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.


Condition: The chairs are offered in excellent condition.

Dimensions:
Height: 30" Inches / 78cm
Width: 26" Inches / 67cm
Depth: 23.5” Inches / 60cm
Floor to seat: 19” inches / 49cm

Delivery:
Free delivery is offered to England & Wales