The Chouchan store was located in Paris’s Boulevard de Sebastopol. It was originally named Au Beau Bois, and eventually became Bobois while the Roche had their business on the famous Boulevard Saint Germain. A friendship between both families ensued, which lead to a mutual understanding to create their own furniture.
Their designs were well received by the public and success came quickly. The time had come to join the ranks of the haute design houses of the moment, and under the label Roche Bobois, the company began presenting two furniture collections per year.
Such was the demand for their pieces that the brand hired some of the world’s most renowned designers and architects to create unique pieces that reflected their business values: unusual elegance, comfort and extreme care for the quality of the materials.
Pierre Paulin, Hans Hopfer, Cédric Ragot, Philippe Bouix, R. Tapinassi & M. Manzani, Vladimir Kagan, Daniel Rode and Ora Ito, among others, are some of the celebrated figures, which have designed pieces for Roche Bobois. With time, many of their creations have become authentic icons of the history of 20th century furniture design.
Fifty years have gone by and Roche Bobois still show that unbeatable combination of design, art and elegance. These are some of the most original and stylish creations you can find in over 240 Roche Bobois stores around the world.
“Edema” modular corner sofa
Design: Philippe Bouix
Collection: Nouveaux Classiques
Philippe Bouix is a young designer whose meteoric career has led him to successfully design various luxury items for Roche Bobois. His philosophy: beyond “simple” comfort, there is a constant search for visual harmony of forms, sometimes marked by wooden or chrome counterpoints. His pieces express the balance between creativity and functionality, like this sensational modular corner sofa, upholstered in velvet, with matching down feather cushions, and fabrics from the Seasons collection.
Swivel armchair “Nuage”
Design: R. Tapinassi & M. Manzoni
Collection: The Contemporaries
Designers and architects Roberto Tapinassi and Maurizio Manzoni share a pronounced preference for creative eclecticism. Their talents extend to industrial, nautical, graphic and, of course, interior design. The Nuage swivel armchair comes upholstered with Emanuel Ungaro fabric for Roche Bobois (available in various covers exclusive to the firm). It has a steel metal frame and a high resistance base in gunmetal finish. The Nuage armchair features sensual curves and flashing colors inspired by the 1970s but created for a decidedly contemporary audience.
“Vertigo” desk
Design: Daniel Rode
Collection: The Contemporaries
A graduate of Paris’s Ecole Boulle, Daniel Rode began his career as an architect and designer in China and Hong Kong, creating luggage and fashion accessories. Rode has won numerous awards for his furniture designs. His pieces are impressions of realism and poetry, ergonomic and evocative structures highlighted and revealed by strong lines and contrasting materials. A very prominent example is his Vertigo writing desk, a futuristic structure made of medium veneer, ebony style, with three drawers. It is available in Wenge stain with brushed stainless steel legs.
“Kapla” Sideboard
Design: Cédric Ragot
Collection: The Contemporaries
Cédrit Ragot’s interesting creations have already been exhibited in Hanover, Vienna, New York and Milan. He is considered a rising star in the design universe as well as an explorer of all creative fields. From industrial engineering to decoration, this designer refuses to be pigeonholed. He moves from one discipline to the next with great ease, thus creating feedback and synergies to use in his next projects. His Kapla sideboard is a complex illusion composed by 4 modules of different sizes with hinged doors or drawers joined together to form a cabinet that rests on a triangular chromed steel leg. ■
