Roche Bobois is a world leader in furniture design and distribution with 250 showrooms around the globe. The company works alongside renowned designers and Haute Couture fashion houses such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Sonia Rykiel Maison and Missoni Home, to offer a broad range of exclusive made-to-order designs. Each item is manufactured with a high level of customisation in small European workshops. The history of Roche Bobois stems from the story of two families, the Roches and the Chouchans. In 1950, Jacques Roche purchased the old Alexandre Dumas theatre on rue de Lyon in Paris and built two stores. His sons, Philippe and François, joined the company and they began to distribute the very best contemporary furniture.
This was heavily inspired by Bauhaus designers, such as Minvielle, Steiner and Airbourne, and equally inspired by renowned designers such as Pierre Paulin and Marc Berthier. At this time, the Chouchans were selling furniture in Paris on Boulevard Sébastopol at ‘Au Beau Bois’ (which later became Bobois). Not yet acquainted, Francois and Philippe Roche and Patrick and Jean-Claude Chouchan, all attended an expo in Copenhagen with the idea of importing Scandinavian furniture to sell in Paris. As a result of meeting, together they designed their first catalogue which launched the national franchise. In 1961, they designed their first nationwide advertising campaign in Elle magazine. Sales boomed and from this point on Roche Bobois gained its own identity and became a brand name. We asked Julien Sannier, managing director of Roche Bobois trade & contracts division, to share his advice on designing and furnishing a lounge.
“By experience, the first step is to choose the design of your sofa,”
he says.
“The sofa must not be too big and must not occupy most of the space of the room. Colours are also very important and they must be in line with the original concept you have in mind. The sofa will not dictate what else must go in the room but will certainly guide you.”
Julien goes on to say that one of the biggest challenges today is to create an interior that stands out, is not predicable and, most importantly, is yours.
“Symmetry and harmony of colours are always a good bet,”
he advises,
“but success will come from adding personal touches: art, ornaments, objects. The lounge must not look like a furniture show room but like a home that reflects your personality.”
As with most things in life, it’s the finer details that really make the difference.
“Like the stitching and the buckle on a luxury hand bag,”
says Julien,
“the details are very important when it comes to interior design. Saddle stitching, brass, marble, solid wood, exceptional aniline thick leather are examples of materials and details that would contribute to elegance and sophistication.
“Less is more, there is also no need to make the room too heavy but light and elegant. Comfort-comfort-comfort, because it can always look good and attractive but if it is not comfortable…forget it.”
Julien sums it all up by quoting the great Coco Chanel who said, ‘Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury’.
www.roche-bobois.com
