40+ French Designers in the applied and decorative arts

The following posts are a selection of French Designers that I have posted about over the last year. French design styles incorporate the new and the old. It is bold and sophisticated. It is attention to detail, whether a brooch, a clock, fabric, or glass.

The following designers offers an informative and interesting perspective on French design. The charm of French design is that it pervades all styles from traditional to modern and surprisingly it is diverse;

Andrée Putnam (1925 – 2013), French Interior Designer

Andrée Putman was a French interior designer, furniture designer, and entrepreneur. She was born in Paris. Putman was probably best known internationally for her black and white palette, illustrated by the 1985 interior of Morgans Hotel in New York. It was commissioned by the entrepreneurs Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell.

Sonia Delaunay (1885 – 1979) An Explorer of Colour

Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979), an interior and textile designer, revolutionized the use of color in the arts. Her collaboration with Robert Delaunay led to the development of Simultaneous Color, emphasizing vibrant hues. She commercialized her talent and designed geometric costumes, opened La Casa Sonia, and created popular textile patterns. During the 1930s Depression, she returned…

Albert Paley (b.1944) American modernist metal sculptor

Albert Paley (born 1944) is an American modernist metal sculptor. Starting as a jeweller, he has evolved into one of the world’s most renowned and famous metalsmiths. Furniture, gates, railings, and staircases are among his creations. He consults with architects and space planners, and he leads a team of craftspeople in his Rochester, New…

Armand Point (1861-1932), French Algerian painter, and designer

Armand Point (1861-1932) was a Symbolist painter, engraver, and designer from France, one of the Salon de la Rose + Croix founding members.

Point’s first paintings were orientalist scenes of markets and musicians and scenes from his childhood in Algeria’s streets. In 1888, he moved to Paris to study under Auguste Herst and Fernand…

Frechet Brothers French decorators and furniture designers

Andre Frechet (1875-1973) and Paul Frechet were French decorators and furniture designers. They were born in Chalons-sur-Mame; and active in Paris.

Working together and individually from 1906, the Frechet brothers’ furniture designs were produced by various firms including Jacquemin freres in Strasbourg, E. Verot, and Charles Jean-selme; 1909-11.

Charles Plumet (1861 – 1928) French Architect Designer

In the year 1861, Charles Plumet was born. As an architect, he built structures in the mediaeval and early French Renaissance styles. He worked on interiors and furniture designs in Art Nouveau styles with Tony Selmersheim (1871–1971). Between 1896 and 1901, Charles Plumet joined l’Art dans Tout (Art in Everything), an association of architects,…

Georges Champion (1889 – 1940) French Furniture Designer

Georges Champion, a French decorator and furniture designer, was known for his sleek lines and modern aesthetic. Influenced by the Art Deco movement, Champion’s furniture featured geometric shapes and bold colors. He worked on high-profile projects, including Parisian hotels and restaurants. Champion’s designs are highly sought after by collectors and design enthusiasts worldwide.

Jeanine Abraham French Furniture Designer

Jeanine Abraham was a French furniture designer who left an indelible mark on interior design. Her designs were characterized by a unique blend of functionality and elegance, and were highly sought after by discerning clients. She studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and Centre Art et Technique, and her work is highly…

Mario Botta (b.1943) Swiss Architect and Designer

While the space arrangements in this structure are inconsistent, its relationship to its site, separation of living from service spaces, and deep window recesses echo his stark, robust and towering style.

Max Ingrand (1908 – 1969) French artist and decorator

Maurice Max-Ingrand (1908–1969) was a French artist and stained glass artist. He was captured by the Nazis during World War II but returned to France in 1945. In 1968, he established Verre Lumière, one of the first businesses to manufacture halogen lamps.

Georges Dunaime – Art Deco -French Designer

Georges Dunaime designed lighting for E. Etling, the designer and engraver. His work included table lamps, torchéeres, and chandeliers made of silver, gilt, and patinated bronze with shades made of cloth, cut glass, quartz, marble, and alabaster.

Chafik Gasmi (b.1962) French-Algerian designer

Chafik Gasmi is a registered architect in France who founded UNIVERS INTÉRIEUR in 1990 and has since expanded his brand to include home goods and decor items. Chafik developed his ideas for the brand and graphic identity of the LE ROYAL MONCEAU building in Paris, collaborated with LANCME, created a resort for the launch…

Guillaume Saalburg French glassworker and engraver

Guillaume Saalburg was a French glassworker and engraver professionally active in Paris.   Education He trained in a glass engraver’s workshop.  Biography He worked as an architect and designer for business and domestic clients, collaborated with Philippe Starck, Jean-Michel Wilmotte, Gilles Derain, Richard Moyer, and Andree Putman: and participated in the design of the hall…

Suzanne Belperron (1900 – 1983) French Jewellery Designer

Suzanne Belporren was a French jewellery designer. Her career flourished in the 1920s and 1930s. Belperron produced numerous designs of sculptured jewellery for René Boivin’s Paris shop. She subsequently opened her own Paris shop called Herz-Belperron. Her designs often featured glass encrusted with gemstones.

Michele De Lucchi (b.1951) Italian architect and designer

At the Universita di Firenze, he experimented with new forms of art and film. In 1973, he created the Cavart group alongside Piero Brombin, Pier Paola Bortolami, Boris Pastrovicchio, and Valerio Tridenti, which was active in Architettura Radicale, filmmaking, written works, and happenings.

Pierre Paulin (1927 – 2009) French furniture designer

He was active in research for the government-sponsored Mobilier International. His first plastic object was the 1953 Chair 157 in polyester, ABS, and elastomers produced by Artifort of Maastricht. Around 1955, he was one of the first to work in elasticised fabrics for Thonet and subsequently for Artifort.

Pierre Guariche (1926 – 1995) french interior designer

Pierre Guariche was a French designer, interior decorator, and architect. He may be best known for the lights he made for Pierre Disderot in the 1950s. Guariche created the ground-breaking “tonneau” chair in 1953. He was searching for a contemporary, affordable alternative to the prewar modernists’ hard chic. Guariche founded the Atelier de Recherche…

Martine Bedin (b.1957) radical architecture and design

Bedin was one of the founders of the avant-garde Memphis group in Milan in 1981. Also, she has worked as an architect, industrial designer and professor. Her work is held in many important museums and private collections. Bedin’s aesthetic is typically colourful and self-consciously kitschy.

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