Six “tonneau” Chairs, By Pierre Guariche, Steiner Editions, France, Circa 1954

Six “Tonneau” chairs, designed by Pierre Guariche for Steiner in 1954.
Molded plywood shell, birch veneer, black moleskin cover, black lacquered metal base.

Biography: Pierre Guariche, France (1926-1995)

Designer and legendary interior architect of the 20th century, Pierre Guariche is one of the most creative and fruitful creators of furniture and lighting, combining aesthetics and mass production.

Born in Paris in 1926, Pierre Guariche studied at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. After the Second World War, he joined a group of young French designers seeking a modern alternative to traditional French decorative arts. Between 1953 and 1057, he collaborated with Joseph-André Motte and Michel Mortier under the acronym ARP (Atelier des Recherches Plastiques), designing furniture in innovative materials and forms. At the same time, he began working for major design companies such as Airborne, Meubles TV, Huchers-Minvielle, Disderot and Steiner. In the late 1950s, Pierre Guariche became chief designer at the Belgian company Meurop, where he concentrated on developing elegant, low-cost furniture.
To find out more, read the Wikipedia page.

Story: Steiner

A key player in high-end designer furniture since 1926, Steiner has been synonymous with talent, open-mindedness and high artistic standards.

1955-1964: France is in the midst of the Trente Glorieuses. Hugues Steiner chose the best designers of the time – Pierre Guariche, Joseph-André Motte, Michel Mortier and René-Jean Caillette – to give the art of seating a breath of ultra-creative functionality, always in tune with the times. The Vampire armchair by Pierre Guariche, the 740 armchair or the 800 sofa by Joseph-André Motte, the Diamant chair by René-Jean Caillette, the SF 103 chair or the M4 suspension by Michel Mortier and so many other furniture models with clean, colorful and daring lines have become cult favorites and are reissued today.