Born into a wealthy family, French born designer Jean Royére (1902-1981), began his career as a banker in the import-export trade, leaving it behind in 1931 at the age of 29 to pursue his passion for design. Under an apprenticeship with Pierre Gouff, he learned cabinetmaking and meticulous craftsmanship. In 1934, Royére won a prestigious competition to design the restaurant of the luxurious Hotel Carlton on the Champs-Élysées finding immediate success.

In 1942 Jean Royére founded his own company and built an international career with global clientele including the Shah of Iran, King Farouk of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan. He pioneered an original style combining bright colors, organic forms and precious materials with a vivid imagination. His international clientele was captivated by his elegant, yet playful style and his patrons entrusted him with the design and layout of their palaces. Royére continued to produce imaginative luxurious pieces until 1972. Since his pieces were made to order His pieces are highly coveted across the world today with furniture garnering six figures, $500,000 and up.

The “you’ll want to melt into” “Ours Polaire” sofa (French for polar bear) is one of the most coveted pieces ever designed by Royére. With its organic, rounded “come to me” frame, this piece has a cult following among the Hollywood elite including Jennifer Aniston and Kanye West. Upholstered in a soft woolen velvet reminiscent of a plush polar bear, nothing says “let’s stay in” better than this sculptural piece, c. the 1940s. Royére’s pieces work beautifully with work from another icon of French Modernism, Jacques Adnet.

Royére’s “Liane” wall light, consists of organically shaped arms with five suspended parchment shades creating a spectacular focal point in any space. He offered these lamps in various configurations with varying numbers of lights, c. 1959.