Life & Style | Home & Interiors
Ligne Roset: The classic contemporaries
Michel Roset, CEO of family-run luxury furniture makers Ligne Roset, talks to InsideOut about design, personality and new products
- By Angela Boshoff Hundal, InsideOut magazine
- Published: 00:00 December 15, 2011
- Image Credit: Supplied pictures
- Clockwise from top left: The Bouroullec brothers designed several of Ligne Roset's iconic pieces; Inga Sempé, the woman behind the Ruche sofa; Michel Roset, CEO of the French furniture maker.
When I talk about furniture design… I talk first and foremost about people - those creating our pieces and those using them. The personality of our designers is very important to me. Ligne Roset looks for people who love their work, are progressive and can combine value, function and new materials.
We receive thousands of new design proposals every year… We have our finger on the pulse when it comes to innovation and are always looking for projects that are not only aesthetic, but are also in synergy with our brand.
People in Dubai love personalising their furniture… and are well known for their style and use of larger, bolder pieces. Classical and decorative furniture by Didier Gomez and Emmanuel Dietrich do well here. It's interesting to see how different countries have such varied interior styles. For example in London and New York people prefer using our products in a colourful, trendy but minimalist fashion, while in France our customers tend to go for a more traditional look. In Japan, people love to buy one or two statement pieces and keep the rest of the home bare.
Dubai can expect a new Ligne Roset piece… in the form of the Ploum chair by the Bouroullec brothers in the near future. The only way I can describe it is by calling it a marshmallow of comfort! It's made from an innovative foam and elastic and is blissful to sit on. We are also introducing a new inside-and-out terrace collection by Philippe Nigro and François Azambourg.
The first designer furniture I ever bought… was a collection of six Russian red horse leather Cab chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina. I was a young man then and I had to put all my pennies together to buy them, but it was worth it. Keep in mind that when these were originally made in 1977 Bellini did not have the technology we have today. Let me tell you, it's not easy making a flexible steel-framed chair covered in luxurious leather fitted with zippers! These chairs also prove that great design lasts. I still have them in my home in Briord and take great pleasure sitting on them.
Other favourites include... two chairs and a dining table by Jasper Morrison and a mirror and vase by Pierre Charpin, all of which you'll find in my Paris apartment. When it comes to art, I have paintings by Djamel Tatah from Algeria and I also enjoy work by Pierre Soulages and Mark Rothko.
When it comes to relaxing… I go to our home in Corsica which has been in the family for 45 years. It is one of three my father bought and it is set on a charming hillside above the sea. While there we get around on a rigid, inflatable boat instead of a car, which I think is rather romantic. My family and I enjoy visiting local markets and buying fresh fish at the nearby creek. One of my favourite pastimes is entertaining and we often have as many as 15 people at the house enjoying a home-cooked meal with us.
I also have family homes in… Paris and Lyon as they are close to work. Because I talk about furniture all day, when I get home I leave the interior decisions to my wife! Having said that I must admit I am personally not a big believer in interior decoration in a traditional sense. I think that when one owns beautiful, functional pieces that's all one needs.
Ligne Roset is available at Aati, 04 337 7825
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