Charlotte Perriand

This surface consists of nineteen short slats arranged parallel, available in a natural oak or dark dyed fi nish, for a range of different uses: as a table, as a bench or padded unit by simply adding cushions (armrest, seat and set of seat and backrest cushions), which can be added to the structure and fixed in place using a simple fastening system Charlotte Perriand created this modular system in 1953 in Tokyo, for her own use.

Included as one of the tables en forme libre created between 1938 and 1939, the final design was developed in 1952 for the students’ rooms of the Maison du Mexique at the Cité Universitaire Internationale in Paris. With a frame designed to be as compact as possible, the tables could be juxtaposed to create larger, symmetrical units. In 1952, the wooden legs were replaced by triangular-section bent metal. In 1956, the lowlevel version was created for the Galerie Steph Simon in Paris. The generous depth of the wooden table-top, available in solid wood, as well as with a gloss or matte finish, resonates with rare beauty. Meanwhile, form follows function in the edges form, reflecting the size of the human hand. New dining versions are added for 5 or 6 people, a new bar version and two new heights for the low tables. In addition, a number of new finishes enhance further the potential for these tables to work together and serve new purposes.

Table with top in solid wood with rounded surface. The staves forming the surface have visible side joints. Three support legs, one larger and oval shaped and two smaller, cylindrical ones. Finishes in open-pored black lacquered oak or mahogany. Designed in 1938 for her atelier in Montparnasse, this table, with its rounded asymmetrical shape,is well suited to the smallest of spaces, highlighting the naturally beauty of the wood used to make it. What is more thanks to the table’s lack of corners many people can sit at it at once, making this an inviting table for a truly convivial gathering. Wood is a natural material, subject to changements caused by external factors such as sunlight, temperature, humidity, daily use. These changements are not to be considered as faults but peculiarities of the material, emphasizing its natural beauty.

The low table, with its sculpted and visibly dynamic form, was designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1985 on occasion of a retrospective dedicated to her at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Cassina re-released it in 2009, only producing it in the black lacquered wood finish. Today the table is enjoying a second life thanks to the introduction of new lacquered finishes in glossy colours: China red, marron glacé and black, which give it a youthful feel that is highly practical in modern spaces.

The high stool (Méribel) takes its name from the Méribel chalet in France, where Charlotte Perriand had a house and where she reinterpreted the local architecture over the years. Marked by three “cut-fi nished” legs. The low version of the stool (Berger) draws inspiration from the stools used by shepherds and hence its name. Marked by three turned legs. Both versions come in solid wood with a natural oak, dyed black and natural Canaletto walnut finish. The use of solid wood conveys a pleasant sense of softness, with continuous grain between the top and the edge, and a depth of surfaces that traces infinite authentic variations on each piece.

Charlotte Perriand designed this stackable low table in 1953 for the Tokyo home of her husband Jacques Martin (J.M.), the head of Air France in Japan. It can be used in a number of ways: as an occasional table close to a sofa, or a low table combined with small tabourets Berger stools. It belongs to that group of rare objects that adapt to diversifi ed uses that become evident in time. This makeover sought to give body to this object, embellishing it with a very intricate working of the saddleleather. The structure is in moulded glassreinforced plastic, onto which the saddle-leather is then sewn and fi tted, all procedures carried out strictly by hand just like saddle making. The saddle-leather upholstery comes in a wide range of colours with matching stitching and edging.

Sìège salle de bains
In its present-day configuration, the stool has a chrome steel trivalent frame and many different versions for the seat: from cream coloured towelling to saddle leather – available in a wide range of colours – to the classic Indian cane seat. The original design, conceived by Charlotte Perriand in 1927 for her apartment in Paris, was presented with a tubular metal frame and seat in woven Indian cane. Cassina included it in the collection in 1973.
 

Part of the Cassina collection since 2004, the Riflesso storage unit created in 1958 by Charlotte Perriand in association with Steph Simon has a new iteration. As in the case of the Tables en forme, which were designed in the 1930s and then upgraded in the 1950s to a more mature configuration, this multifunctional piece is characterised by wooden shelves with rounded edges with a strong Japanese influence, which was a common theme in Perriand’s oeuvre.  As was the case with all her furniture produced during this period, the expressiveness of the material itself became a distinguishing feature, creating soft eye-catching shapes of great elegance. Originally available in just one size and two heights, and only in a black finish, the new version is larger. The piece is available in mahogany, the sliding doors being natural or black anodised aluminium.

Cutting-edge modularity: Nuage, a family of bookcases and storage units designed by Charlotte Perriand for Cassina.
Charlotte Perriand never sees modularity, the key to modern design, as rigid or aseptic. For her it always combines functionality and aesthetics, managing to completely satisfy user requirements. The compositions for this model range from sideboards, to storage units, freestanding and wall-mounted bookcases, fixed symmetrically or asymmetrically, to self-supporting bookcases for using in the middle of rooms, in natural oak or black oak veneer. The modules can be fitted with doors to close the open compartments, in anodised aluminium or in a wide range of colours, to create alternating hollows and solids.

In addition to the new table versions (dining, two new low table heights and a bar version), the Mexique family is now enlarging with the introduction of two new stools available in two different heights, 45 cm. and 72 cm. The “en forme libre” seating, in solid wood, is highlighted by the lightness of the geometric frame of the legs. The product is suitable for residential and contract use.

Siège tournant, fauteuil
Revolving small armchair with polished trivalent chrome plated (CR3) or semigloss grey, light blue, green, brown, mud and ivory or black enamel steel frame. Available in two versions: with 4 or 5 legs. Back and seat cushion padded with CFC-free polyurethane foam and polyester wadding. Leather or fabric upholstery. An outdoor version is also available for this model.
Designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1927 for her flat in place Saint-Sulpice, Paris, this small armchair was first exhibited at the 1928 Salon des Artistes Décorateurs in the Salle à Manger 28, and subsequently at the 1929 Salon d’Automne, integrated within the collection co-signed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand.

A lightweight chair which takes its form, with graceful folds, from a single die-pressed piece of curved ply in natural or stained black oak. Due to the thin structure, it is advisable to limit use of the product in domestic areas. Designed in Japan in 1954 for the Synthèse des Arts exhibition this light stackable chair pays tribute to the traditional Japanese art of Origami with its delicate proportions and carefully conceived design: like a piece of paper takes shape with every fold.