The Design Culture Webzine

André Monpoix: Precision in the Service of Reconstruction

A discreet yet essential figure in French design of the 1950s, André Monpoix embodied the spirit of post-war reconstruction. A student of René Gabriel and collaborator with Meubles TV, he developed a rigorous, functional and modernist body of furniture in which metal, Formica and wood are combined with remarkable balance. 

A look back at a still underappreciated designer whose desk, presented at the Salon des Arts Ménagers in 1956, remains a manifesto of French functionalism.

Antonia Astori: A Modular, Refined and Visionary Modernity

Long before modular furniture became an obvious choice, Antonia Astori was already inventing a new way of living: fluid, flexible and structured.

As co-founder of Driade, she laid the foundations for an essential, elegant and visionary approach to design, in which furniture becomes a true tool for shaping interior architecture.

The PH Series by Poul Henningsen

In interwar Denmark, a maverick architect forever changed our relationship with light. By designing his famous PH lamps for Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen created a design that was at once scientific, democratic, and poetic. 

A look back at a lighting revolution that began in 1925.

Jean-Louis Avril, Paper Architect, Cardboard Designer

At a time when many of his colleagues were marveling at the possibilities offered by petroleum-based materials, Jean-Louis Avril (1935–2025) set out to use a material as commonplace as it was humble: cardboard.

The career of an iconic designer of the 1960s and 1970s.

The SAS Royal Hotel: Arne Jacobsen’s Total Work of Art

In 1960, Copenhagen’s SAS Royal Hotel became Denmark’s first skyscraper and a modernist manifesto by Arne Jacobsen.

From the architecture to the iconic Swan and Egg chairs, the Danish architect explored the idea of a total design project, in which every detail contributes to the user’s experience.

Maria Pergay’s Steel Works

In 1968, Maria Pergay surprised the design world with an unexpected material: stainless steel. Neither a sculptor nor a decorator in the traditional sense, she created a distinctive new language combining rigor and poetry. Her functional, luminous and timeless furniture opened a radically new path in the landscape of French design.

Mullca Chairs: The Indestructible School Furniture Makes a Comeback

With their clean design, exceptional durability and instantly familiar silhouette, these school chairs leave no one indifferent. A closer look at these symbols of standardisation and mass production… which have become archetypes of timeless seating.

It is the classmate we have all known at some point. It accompanied us through primary school, secondary school, high school and higher education across France… and sometimes even followed us into the workplace!

Plastic Unleashes the Imagination of 1970s Designers

Bright colours, vibrant transparency and unprecedented forms: in the 1970s, plastic propelled design into a freer, more democratic era.

Long confined to industry, it entered the living room, challenged established conventions and opened the way to objects that were lightweight, modular and accessible. From the Panton Chair to futuristic lighting, this material transformed our relationship with objects… and with modernity itself.

Conquering the Sphere

This futuristic sphere in quintessential 1970s colours conceals an entire tableware set for four people. Discover the story behind an iconic piece that marked Villeroy & Boch’s transition towards a more contemporary style.

Richard Schultz: The Art of Outdoor Design.

Discret mais essentiel, Richard Schultz a réinventé le mobilier d’extérieur moderne. De la poétique Petal Table à la révolutionnaire 1966 Collection pour Knoll, son travail conjugue rigueur technique et légèreté sculpturale. 

Retour sur le parcours d’un créateur qui a su donner de l’air au design.