1950
A FAMILY STORY

Roche Bobois is the story of the casual encounter of two families, the Roche and Chouchan families. In 1950, Jacques Roche had bought the old Alexandre Dumas Theater on rue de Lyon and then he set up two shops in it. His sons, Philippe and François, joined their father and dreamed together how the company could expand further. They began selling the best possible contemporary furniture of the time, heavily influenced by big Bauhaus designers like Minvielle, Steiner and Airbourne, or such names like Pierre Paulin and Marc Berthier. At the same time, the Chouchan family sold furniture in their shop, in the “Au Beau Bois”, which was located on Boulevard Sébastopol in Paris and later became Bobois.

1960
THE ENCOUNTER

1960, Copenhagen Salon: the discovery of Scandinavian furniture. Unbeknownst to each other, Francois and Philippe Roche, as well as Patrick and Jean-Claude Chouchan, all appeared at the expo with the intention of selling the furniture they saw there and importing them to Paris. The big encounter took place, and then, they jointly designed their first catalogue, which became the starting poing of their national franchise. However, their great adventure only began after that. In 1961, their first nationwide advertising campaign had appeared in Elle magazine due to which their sales soon skyrocketed, and the results proved the success of putting their names and resources together. From then on, Roche Bobois acquired its own identity and became a brand name.

1970
1970 • 1980 • 1990 – CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

With the advent of television in the 1970s, the sofa in households became a “must-have” piece of furniture. Sofas have become central pieces in the “Les Contemporains” collection. In the ’80s, Roche Bobois expanded its collection with the creation of “Les Provinciales”- a collection that rethinks French furniture. The 1990s were defined by a fusion of different ethnic influences. Roche Bobois responded to the trend by bringing the “Les Voyages” collection to life. Roche Bobois is one of the few local furniture distributors that has successfully expanded around the world as a result of being able to create its own defining style by matching the needs and desires of its customers.

2000
2 DEFINING MOMENTS

For Roche Bobois, the beginning of the 21st century was marked by two significant events. On the one hand, a large-scale global expansion with even more stores around the world’s major cities. In Bologna, shops opened everywhere including the former Lupari Palace or the futuristic building of Montreal. At the same time, they have developed even deeper collaborations with designers and architects, who, in collaboration with Roche Bobois, came up with and created stunning yet useful furniture and home furnishings that embody a certain vision of design, a “design for living”.

2010
THE 50TH ANNIVARSARY

In 2010, Roche Bobois celebrated 50 years of design and international development in France and around the world with a series of events. It should be noted that it was at the time when the brand initiated a collaboration with designer Jean Paul Gaultier. This collaboration between Roche Bobois and Jean Paul Gaultier, or between two French phenomena with international influence, reveals a common history fuelled by fashion and home decor, spoken in a language of creativity, aesthetics, audacity and power, and, it also includes expertise and great attention to detail.

2020
THE ROCHE BOBOIS BRAND TODAY

Today, Roche Bobois is present in 50 countries with more than 250 stores.

Their constant collaboration with celebrated designers like Ora Ito, Cédric Ragot, Sacha Lakic, Christophe Delcourt, Stephen Burks and world-famous fashion houses (Jean Paul Gaultier, Missoni Home) makes Roche Bobois a unique player in the world of high-end furniture. Roche Bobois has recently opened its own creative laboratory in Monaco: La Galerie Roche Bobois. The place aims to showcase the brand’s selection of the most reckless pieces of furniture, lighting fixtures and decorative elements. La Galerie Roche Bobois is also open to cultural and artistic creativity; it has become a place where artists and creators are constantly invited to display their works of art.

Roche Bobois is a leading brand name in the world of furniture design and distribution. In collaboration with renowned designers -Marcel Wanders, Kenzo Takada, Ora Ito, Cédric Ragot, Sacha Lakic, Christophe Delcourt and Stephen Burks-, as well as with haute couture fashion houses such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Missoni Home and Christian Lacroix Maison-, Roche Bobois is qualified to provide a very wide selection of highly customizable pieces made in small European workrooms for exclusive orders.

Check out our complete collection of premium quality furniture – including sofas, armchairs, coffee tables, dining chairs, sideboards, beds, cabinets and accessories: lighting fixtures, cushions and rugs – at www.roche-bobois.com or in one of our 255 shops worldwide.