Pair of Chrome and Velvet Swivel Ottomans, French Work, Circa 1970

This sleek pair of swivel ottomans exemplifies the sophisticated modernism of French decorative design in the early 1970s. Each piece presents a circular upholstered seat in sumptuous velvet — its plush pile catching the light and shifting between deep shadow and luminous highlight — mounted on a precisely engineered chrome base with a smooth swivel mechanism. The marriage of chromed steel and rich velvet is quintessentially of its moment: the cool industrial gleam of the metal offset by the warmth and tactility of the textile, a pairing that recurs throughout the finest French interiors of the decade.

The 1970s marked a period of extraordinary creative ambition in French decorative arts, as a generation of designers and decorators pushed against the austerity of high modernism in search of a more voluptuous and sensuous aesthetic. Chrome — the signature material of the modernist interior since the 1920s — was redeployed in this decade not in the service of rigour and efficiency but of glamour and sensory pleasure. Paired with velvet, leather, or sheepskin, chromed steel bases appeared beneath everything from seating to side tables, bar stools to bed frames, creating interiors of a studied and intoxicating opulence that has never entirely gone out of fashion.

These ottomans are objects of considerable versatility as well as considerable style. As pouf seating at the foot of a bed or sofa, they offer a comfortable and elegant resting place; as accent pieces in an entrance hall or dressing room, they contribute an air of studied luxury. The swivel mechanism adds a playful, functional dimension. Their chrome bases complement a wide range of interior palettes, while the velvet seats invite re-upholstery for those wishing to personalise the colour and material.