Classic & Contemporary
Whether you lean toward contemporary or classic, if you value quality and exclusivity, Nathalie Chianura believes Roche Bobois offers furniture you will love – and appreciate for years to come.
A native of France, Chianura’s introduction to American life came by way of a student-exchange program when she was in high school. Though the program landed her in New York, circumstances brought her to Scottsdale, and she fell in love with the desert Southwest. When her exchange year had ended, she returned to France, obtained a degree in business and immediately went to work with Roche Bobois in Lille, her hometown in northern France.
After several years working with the company in Lille and then in Paris – during which time she visited Scottsdale summer after summer – she realized the Roche Bobois store that used to be in Scottsdale’ Arts District had closed. She also recognized that this might be the opportunity she was hoping for. “From the time I was 7,” she says, “I wanted to be a businesswoman.”
She approached the company’s leadership with the possibility of opening a new store in Scottsdale. The north Scottsdale store became the only one of the 30 in the U.S. to be corporate and have two partners – Chianura and Roche Bobois.
“I have two love stories,” she says. “My first love story began when I arrived in the U.S. America was the best place for me to fulfill my dream to own a business. My second love story is Roche Bobois.”
Left, from the Nouveau Classique Collection: Commedia sectional, Collages coffee table by Jean-Francois Marchou and Vincennes bookcase, also by Jean-Francois Marchou. Right: Solstice rounded modular sofa by Phillipe Bouix with Dervish cocktail tables by NRD and Delphine rug.
Why Roche Bobois?
Every piece of Roche Bobois furniture is signed with the company name, a company that was founded as a two-family – the Roche family and the Chouchan family – business in the early 20th century.
The furniture is designed mainly by French and Italian designers and produced in European factories, mainly in Italy, France, Portugal, England and Sweden. The workmanship is superb, and, Chianura says, the materials, are top quality. The leather is thick and sturdy, and from the time glass became popular in the ’90s, the company chose 19mm over 12mm.
In Roche Bobois: 50 Years of Design, Nicholas Roche, one of the younger generation, says, “Does it all come down to thickness, presence and weight? Quality materials and quality workmanship? Whenever I feel the impulse to refine things, I know I have to restrain myself. Remember that one of our best-selling items is Lionel Margaine’s Ténéré table – and that’s built with four 20cm-square concrete blocks. It’s massive. It’s like a fortress. It’s built to last.”
“These pieces are timeless. They are an investment, so they should last. They are not mass-produced, and the Roche Bobois customer values their exclusivity,” Chianura says.
The company has two collections: Les Contemporains and Nouveau Classique. While the contemporary collection leads the sales, the modern interpretation of the classics is also strong. The patina on wood pieces in the Nouveau Classique collection is achieved by hand, not machine. In addition to furniture, Roche Bobois has its own collection of wallpaper, rugs and fabrics, and the store provides design services.
Chianura chooses colors for the north Scottsdale store that reflect the Southwest lifestyle. In New York, the U.S. headquarters of Roche Bobois, black is popular. “But black leather isn’t a big seller here,” she says. “In the desert, people like the lighter, more neutral palettes. “
The Scottsdale showroom boasts both contemporary and classic collections in soft beige, white and soft pastels.
At top, left: Nouveau Classique table from the Séville collection; right: Contemporary table from the Diapo eco-friendly collection by René Bouchara with Ava chairs
