016 Maasto dining arm chair, black

Ronan Bouroullec (b. 1971) is a designer with a long and distinguished career, and he rightly ranks among France’s best-known design names. Born in Brittany, Bouroullec lives and works in Paris, and he is best known for the collaboration with his brother Erwan that began in 1998.

Alongside industrial design, Ronan Bouroullec’s portfolio also spans interior design, architecture and a variety of art projects, ranging from drawings and video works to entire exhibitions.

• See also: Products by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec >

Ronan Bouroullec – a multidisciplinary master of modern French design

The work of French designer Ronan Bouroullec sits at the crossroads of industrial design, spatial design and visual art. Bouroullec studied design at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and founded his own studio in the 1990s, before embarking on a long collaboration with his brother Erwan Bouroullec.

Bouroullec’s work reveals a fascination with the relationships between objects and spaces: rather than focusing on individual products alone, he also explores how people use, experience and share their surroundings. His output spans furniture and lighting through to textiles, ceramics, architectural elements and visual art.

Poetic structures

Ronan Bouroullec’s design is characterised by a subtle, often almost poetic relationship with materials, structures and scale. His pieces bring together the clarity of industrial production and the sensitivity of craftsmanship: the forms are pared down, yet they often carry an organic rhythm, a softness or references drawn from nature.

Drawing plays a particularly central role in his thinking, serving both as a tool for developing ideas and as an independent form of expression. 

Alone and together

Over the course of his career, Ronan Bouroullec has designed numerous internationally renowned works both on his own and together with his brother Erwan, for the likes of Vitra, HAY and Artek. These include office and seating systems as well as furniture that emphasises comfort, modularity and new ways of organising work and living spaces. 

Alongside the design work created with his brother, Ronan Bouroullec has also established a clear profile as an independent designer – his practice places weight not only on design but also on drawing, experimental research and exhibition-based work.

Who: Ronan Bouroullec

• French designer (b. 1971), known for his collaboration with Erwan Bouroullec.
• Studied design at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and founded his own studio in the 1990s.
• Designs furniture, products and spaces as well as art projects ranging from drawings to installations.
• One of the most acclaimed European designers of his generation.
• Notable works: Palissade Cantilever chairs (HAY), Courier desk (Vitra), Luce lights (Flos), Maasto furniture (Vaarnii).

Design Stories: Read more and find inspiration

• Ronan Bouroullec: “Finnish pine is a marvellous material” >