Pierre Paulin F598 Groovy Chair for Artifort in Purple Kvadrat
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Ref: B-053
- Designer
- Pierre Paulin
- Manufacturer
- Artifort
- Period
- 1970s
- Origin
- Netherlands
- Materials
- virgin wool (Kvadrat Tonus), steel
- Color
- purple
- Condition
- Good — professionally reupholstered in Kvadrat Tonus
- Height
- 80 cm
- Width
- 60 cm
- Depth
- 35 cm
The Groovy earned its name honestly. Designed by Pierre Paulin in 1964 for Artifort, the F598 is one of those rare chairs that communicates its character before you even sit in it. The tubular steel structure traces the letter M beneath the upholstery, giving the chair both its nickname and its distinctive, undulating silhouette.
The proportions are deliberately compact. A wide, fully upholstered seat and backrest provide excellent lumbar support within a modest footprint, making the Groovy equally at home in a spacious living room or a smaller bedroom. The design is generous without being bulky — a quality that has kept it relevant for over sixty years.
This vintage example has been lovingly restored and reupholstered in royal purple Kvadrat Tonus — a premium virgin wool fabric known for its durability, colour depth, and tactile warmth. The result is a chair that honours its mid-century origins while feeling entirely fresh. By choosing a restored piece, you are also choosing sustainability — keeping a beautifully designed object in circulation rather than contributing to the estimated nine million tons of furniture that reach landfills each year.
Pierre Paulin's collaboration with Artifort produced some of the most recognisable furniture of the twentieth century. The Tongue, the Mushroom, the Ribbon, and the Groovy all share a common DNA: organic forms, bold colours, and an insistence that comfort and visual impact need not be separate pursuits. The F598 sits at the quieter end of that spectrum — less dramatic than the Tongue, but no less considered.
In a contemporary interior, the Groovy in purple becomes an instant focal point. It brings colour, craft, and a sense of joyful rebellion — a chair that refuses to take itself too seriously, yet takes comfort very seriously indeed.