Pierre Paulin

Born in Paris in 1927, Paulin was unquestionably one of the pioneers of modern design. At the end of the war, he join the workshop of Marcel Gascoin, one of the creators of the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM). There Paulin soaked up Scandinavian aesthetics and clearly perceived the role that design could play in society. He then joined the interior decoration service of the Galeries Lafayette department store, where department director Geneviève Pons introduced him to the work of American designers.

By 1953, Paulin produced his own furniture pieces and showed them at the Salon des Arts Ménagers. In the late 1950s he was recruited by Kho Liang Ie, the creative director of Dutch design firm Artifort, for whom he became a privileged collaborator. Meanwhile, Pierre Paulin developed work as an interior designer, an activity which gave him a broader grasp of furniture beyond the single scope of each object and allowed him to envisage a space in its sculptural dimension. He worked for Dior, the ORTF and Bertrand Faure, the car parts manufacturer. In 1975 Paulin founded ADSA with Maia Paulin and Marc Lebailly. A design agency and trend forecaster that advised the industry in creative direction and brand image, it also produced designs for products and public spaces that still stand as icons today. In the early 1980s, Paulin took everyone by surprise by creating a new limited edition furniture collection that revived notions of classicism and savoir-faire, in materials and design alike. Intuitive and avant-garde, Paulin foresaw the emergence of a collector’s market for design.

From the beginning of his career, he played a decisive role in the history of design and revolutionized the French lifestyle thanks to his progressive personal vision for homes.