Pierre Chapo

PIERRE CHAPO (Paris, 1927-1987).
Extending dining table model T40, 1970s.
Elm wood.
With two extensions. Without extensions the table has a round shape, with the extensions it becomes oval.
Measurements: 170 x 120 x 74 cm (measurements with one extension); 120 x 74 x 74 x 74 cm (measurements without extension).

Round/oval dining table T40 designed by Pierre Chapo. Like all Chapo furniture, this is a bold and robust piece of furniture anchored to tradition. It is distinguished by the four square-section legs that curve at the bottom (aesthetic that acquires the name of "duck foot") to converge at the central shaft.

Pierre Chapo was initially interested in painting, but his meeting with a shipbuilding carpenter in 1947 introduced him to wood and carpentry, and led him to study architecture at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After traveling in Scandinavia, Central America and working for a year in the United States, he returned to Paris and pursued his interest in wood, crafting furniture mainly from solid oak, elm, ash or teak with a dual concern for contemporary design and traditional know-how. In the French capital he opened his own workshop. Influenced by the work of Charlotte Perriand for the alpine ski resort of Les Arcs, his participation in the 1967 Salon de la Société des artistes décorateurs earned him a bronze medal.