Designer profiles, design news, iconic furniture & more.
In post-war France, Steiner played a key role in democratising modern design. Founded in 1926, the Paris-based company accompanied changing lifestyles with furniture that was innovative, accessible and elegant.
From Art Deco club armchairs to the futuristic sofas of the 1970s, Steiner remained at the forefront of design for several decades, thanks to collaborations with some of the most important names in French design.
The history of design is full of surprising encounters between power and creativity. The story linking Christophe Pillet to the President of the French Republic is a striking example. In 2000, the Atelier de Recherche et de Création at the Mobilier National commissioned the designer to create a new armchair for the presidential stand at the 14 July parade on Place de la Concorde.
Among his major creations, the Moloch Lamp holds an emblematic place. Designed in 1971-72, it grew out of a radical idea: to enlarge the famous Luxo desk lamp by a factor of four, turning it into a monumental light suited to public spaces.
Rejected by Cassina as too subversive, it was eventually produced by Bracciodiferro and presented at MoMA in 1972 during the exhibition "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape", a consecration that turned it into a collector's object with symbolic reach beyond mere aesthetics.
Born in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Cees Braakman began his career as a designer at a very young age, joining the furniture company Pastoe, where his father worked as a draughtsman. He became the company’s director in 1948.
Scandinavian design, recognizable by its clean lines and refined forms, has remained relevant across the decades.
Born in the Nordic countries, it is based on a clear philosophy: “Making beauty accessible, without ever separating aesthetics from function.”
This connection between nature, utility and human harmony lies at the heart of the style.
