Vintage Tolix T55 Table, 1960s

The “made in France” chair company Tolix was founded after World War I in Autun (Burgundy) by Xavier Pauchard (1880-1948), a French pioneer in galvanized steel. In 1927, Pauchard registered his company under the name Tolix and set about developing designs for durable, rust-proof, stackable metal furniture for use in public spaces.

In 1934, Pauchard designed the chair that secured Tolix’s place in design history, the Model A Café Chair. This iconic piece earned accolades at Paris’s 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques, which gave the company a great visibility. Two years later, the Model A was adapted for use by children—named the Mouette (Seagull in French). Tolix’s Model A Café Chair can be found the permanent collections of major museums, such as the Centre Pompidou, Vitra Design Museum, and MoMA.

After Pauchard passed away in the late 1950s, his son Jean took over the company until it was sold to Chantal Andriot in 2004. In recent years, Tolix has collaborated with designers like Konstantin Grcic, Sebastian Herkner, Normal Studio, Lex Pott, and Julie Richoz. In 2006, Tolix was awarded the “Living Heritage Company” label by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance & Industry.