Président
Originally designed by Pierre Guariche in the early 1960s, the Président desk captures the French designer’s talent for balancing sculptural form with the practical demands of everyday furniture. Now reissued by Ligne Roset, the substantial executive desk brings a distinctly French expression to contemporary workspaces, pairing warm natural walnut with polished chrome and thoughtful storage.
Guariche designed the Président desk for the head office of Les Huchers-Minvielle, the French furniture manufacturer that was among his principal production partners. Its generous proportions and dual-sided configuration were intended to serve both executive and guest functions. The original was produced in small series by Les Huchers-Minvielle alongside Belgian manufacturer Meurop.
The desk’s architecture is deliberately composed around the relationship between its front and back sides. On the user-facing side, two full-extension drawers provide discreet storage, finished with distinctive chromed cup handles. Opposite, a recessed niche in white laminate creates an open surface for guests while introducing a crisp visual contrast to the walnut. Beneath it all, slender gloss-chromed feet give the otherwise substantial desk an unexpected sense of lightness. Height-adjustable glides add a practical finishing touch.
That interplay between material weight and visual lightness is characteristic of Guariche’s approach to furniture. Born in 1926, he studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. In 1954, he joined Joseph-André Motte and Michel Mortier to establish the Atelier de Recherche Plastique, an influential design group exploring new materials, forms and methods of production. He later became artistic director of Meurop, where he pursued elegant furniture that could be manufactured in series.
Guariche’s philosophy was rooted in making modern design accessible through industrial production without sacrificing visual character. His best-known works include the Tonneau chair (also re-introduced by Ligne Roset), Tulipe chair and a celebrated body of lighting designs, while the Président desk stands as one of his defining office pieces.
The contemporary reissue preserves the essential character of the original while bringing its construction and proportions into the present. Ligne Roset offers the Président in two sizes, including a larger 78-inch-wide version and a scaled-down 63-inch-wide option, allowing the design to move between executive offices, private studies and residential workspaces.
With its rich walnut surface, graphic chrome framework and unmistakable mid-century silhouette, Président is as much a statement piece as it is a functional workstation. More than six decades after its original conception, Guariche’s design demonstrates how a well-resolved piece of furniture can retain its relevance without losing the character of its era.
