Ribbon Chair for Artifort.

Pumpkin Chair for Ligne Roset.

Butterfly Chair for Artifort.

Flower Chair for Magis.

French designer Pierre Paulin, famed for his unusually shaped chairs and a favourite of French presidents, has died at the age of 81. His seats, shaped like mushrooms and tongues and decorated in an array of bright colours, won widespread acclaim and found their way into major museums across the world.

They now form part of collections in New York's Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Born in Paris on July 9, 1927, Paulin was influenced early on by Japanese drawings and American designers Charles and Ray Eames. This led him to design his signature furniture which was simple, functional and hard-wearing.