The French designers I google when I’m sourcing vintage homeware items for myself and clients
10 of France’s most important designers of the 20th century and the pieces that I have on my wishlist
I spend a lot of time searching for vintage items - I will do another article on my favorite websites and sources at a later date - but first I thought I’d share the names of the French designers (that rank amongst Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret) that I google when sourcing items for my home, our Rouen renovation and client projects.
I love to mix old and new in interior design and believe that the stories and texture created by incorporating furniture and accessories from different eras, brings a space to life; it gives a home a unique personality and provides a talking point. And so, I try to incorporate as much vintage as I can, specifically chairs, lights and tables, which I use as art pieces to create design ‘moments’.
I’ve curated a selection of three items per designer that I would love to have at home - of course you can also find plenty of items ‘in the style of’, if they are out of your price range (many will be), but this article is to give reference points for when you’re searching for pieces for your own space. I hope you find it helpful! Do let me know in the comment section.
A reminder on my edits for free subscribers - you will now be able to see the first three items; paid subscribers will be able to see the full edit. A subscription works out at just €5 a month (instead of 6€) if you sign up to the yearly plan, where you will also get FULL ACCESS to my archive of wardrobe, homeware and travel edits, including my Little Black Book of Paris addresses. Plus paid subscribers can ask me anything in the comments - looking for something specific? I can help you find it!
Charlotte Perriand (1903 - 1909)
“The extension of the art of dwelling is the art of living — living in harmony with man's deepest drives and with his adopted or fabricated environment.”
A pioneer of 20th century design, not just because she was one of very few women working in the design arena at the time, Perriand produced some of the most recognizable French furniture designs that we know today. The most recognisable is the LC2 Grand Confort chair chair that she created whilst she was working in Le Corbusier’s studio in collaboration with Le Corbusier himself and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret. She believed that good design made life better, and I couldn’t agree more - one of the reasons I love designing clients’ homes.