The Design Culture Webzine

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.

Treasure Hunting: The Pleasure of Buying Vintage

Treasure hunting is more than buying an old piece of furniture. It is exploring, being surprised and giving objects a second life.

It is also a personal and joyful way to discover design.

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.

Why Buy Vintage?

Buying vintage is much more than a decorative trend: it means choosing an interior that is unique, responsible and sustainable. 

From distinctive style and affordability to environmental responsibility and proven quality, 20th-century furniture offers five compelling reasons to find its place in our contemporary lives.

Memphis: Colour, Chaos and Freedom

Bright colours, unexpected forms and modest yet unapologetically displayed materials: Memphis, founded in Milan in 1981 under the leadership of Ettore Sottsass, radically transformed international design.

Short-lived but highly influential, the movement opened the way to a new idea of furniture: expressive, ironic and free.

A look back at this revolution, which defined the 1980s and whose influence can still be felt today.

Steiner: From Club Armchairs to Design Icons

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.

Christophe Pillet and the Presidential Armchair for the 14 July Parade

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.

Gaetano Pesce and the Moloch Lamp: The Posthumous Light of a Design Manifesto

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.