Ours Polaire Sofa

Ours Polaire Sofa by Jean Royère

The emblematic Ours Polaire sofa establishes its free form, its fluidity and soft, enveloping curves in a space. Jean Royère originally designed this in 1946 for his mother’s Paris apartment, the biomorphic piece symbolizing an unostentatious luxury initiated by the designer. A real feat both in its invisible frame as in its great comfort, the Ours Polaire is one of the designer’s most iconic pieces.

Specifications

Year: 1946

Frame in solid beech, feet in solid oak

Traditional upholstery using plant-based and horsehair filings

Covering in Alpaca velvet

Colours: beige, yellow, orange, red, violet, aquamarine

Dimensions: Width 250cm, Depth 150cm, Height 75m

Designed by Jean Royère French, 1902–1984

"Ours Polaire" sofa and pair of armchairs, circa 1952

Mohair fabric, painted wood

Decorative Art

Sofa:30 5/8 x 94 x 54 1/4 in. (77.8 x 238.8 x 137.8 cm)

Each armchair: 27 1/2 x 38 1/2 x 37 3/4 in. (69.9 x 97.8 x 95.9 cm)

Jean Royère was already 29 when he decided to quit his job and take up design. He began his second career in Paris’ cabinetmaking workshops, before receiving his first big commission, designing a new layout for the Brasserie Carlton on the Champs Elysées in 1934. From then his luxurious style caught the eye of the world’s elite, and he spent the rest of his career designing couture furniture and spaces for the likes of King Hussein of Jordan and the Shah of Iran. Unlike the modernists who came before him, the self-taught designer offered a more sensuous approach to design. He reveled in color, working with rich jewel tones, precious materials, velvets, brass, and satin, with shape and material as his only ornamentation.