Some pieces of furniture simply work. Others tell stories. And then there is the Bibendum armchair by Eileen Gray – 100 years old and still surprisingly relevant today. Not a nostalgic relic, but a design that continues to demonstrate just how modern modernity can feel.
The Bibendum is more than just an armchair. Anyone with a flair for design notices this immediately upon sitting down. There is weight, poise, presence.
To mark its 100th anniversary in 2026, a strictly limited edition has been released, celebrating not only an iconic object but also the ideas behind it: movement, a new beginning, a fresh perspective on living. The characteristic upholstered rolls are more than just form – they are a clear statement.
Bibendum is a charming nod to the famous Michelin Man, who is called ‘Bibendum’ in French, by the way, and whose body consists of tyres stacked on top of one another – a symbol of mobility, technology and dynamism. Gray translated this idea into leather and steel: the upholstered rolls echo the segmented form, opulent, almost sculptural – playful and yet radically modern. A piece of furniture that embodies the spirit of a new, dynamic era.
Eileen Gray herself was a passionate driver. She loved speed, movement, that sense of freedom. This is precisely what is reflected in the Bibendum.
Even later, when her eyesight began to fail, she remained fascinated by the subject – she even considered a scooter as an alternative, but decided against it. For her, mobility was more than just getting from A to B: it was a way of life.
The Bibendum embodies precisely that. Like many of her pieces of furniture, it speaks of its designer – but here particularly clearly: stark contrasts, a strong presence, a interplay of steel and leather. Technology and sensuality intertwine without contradicting one another.
In House E.1027 at the Côte d’Azur, Gray develops her vision of space as a living relationship. Here, her design facets come together, and the Bibendum meets its polar opposite: the Eileen Gray Adjustable Table E1027. One is voluminous, almost dominant. The other is light, mobile, understated.
Where the armchair takes up space, the table recedes almost invisibly. Where the table serves as a mobile and functional piece, the Bibendum exudes presence and volume. Two opposites that together form a scene of modernism – whilst simultaneously revealing the complexity of their designer.
Together, they function as a deliberate contrast. The armchair defines the space; the table adapts to it. Both belong together – without resembling one another.
In Eileen Gray’s villa, and wherever these two pieces of furniture come together, their contrasting nature enters into a dialogue: the Bibendum commands, the table accompanies. Breakfast in bed, reading, an afternoon bathed in the light of the Côte d’Azur – everything seems as though it were composed by an invisible hand. Gray designed not only furniture, but moments, atmospheres, a way of life. Her vision of modernity becomes tangible here – quiet yet compelling, almost physically palpable.
100 years after its creation, the Bibendum returns – in a strictly limited edition, in light beige, with nickel-plated tubular steel. Each piece bears Gray’s signature and a unique edition number. The beige hue lends the armchair a sense of calm and warmth, an almost archaic presence, without diminishing its iconic power.
Today, the Bibendum does not exist in isolation, but in relation – to the space, to other objects, to people. Its counterpart, the Adjustable Table, complements it without ever competing with it. Together, they tell the story of a designer who understood that design is not merely form, but attitude.
When viewed alongside the Adjustable Table, it becomes clear what Gray was aiming for: not individual icons, but relationships. An understanding of design that goes beyond form.
And that is precisely why, even after 100 years, the Bibendum does not feel like a monument, but like a piece of furniture that still wants to be used.
You sit down in it – and quickly realise: some designs never go out of fashion. They remain dynamic and modern.
