Pierre Chapo Coffee Table 'T08' in Solid Elm

Pierre Chapo, coffee table or bench, model 'T08', solid elm, France, design circa 1965

This 'T08' coffee table is one of the early editions designed by Pierre Chapo, known for his hallmark use of solid elmwood and a commitment to pure and clean design and construction principles. This cocktail table is modest and rationalist in its design. Only decorative detail is the wood connection of the legs seen in the tabletop. All attention goes to the natural expression of the elm wood.

Pierre Chapo (1927-1987) was born in a family of craftsmen and trained as an architect in Paris. After spending many years traveling through South and North America he and his partner Nicole set up Société Chapo, an architectural research consultancy and interior design firm. In 1958 they opened their famous gallery at 14 Boulevard de l'Hopital. Chapo's work originated by means of special commissions that could later be adapted to universal needs. Chapo was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's balanced lines, Corbusier's research on proportions and the Minimalist tendencies of Bauhaus. Société Chapo was a design workshop and gallery in one where Nicole presented ceramics, textiles and other design by the great designers of the day. The three principles that motivated Pierre Chapo were 'material, form, and function.' He measured his furniture by means of golden ratio and used elmwood as his preferred material.