Roger Capron, the ceramist of Vallauris

Roger Capron (1922-2006) turned ceramics into domestic architecture. Settled in Vallauris from 1946, this French ceramist founded one of the most prolific studios in the South. His great idea? Take ceramics out of display cases and place them at the centre of the living room. So came the Capron coffee tables: terracotta tile tops, geometric or floral patterns, sometimes figurative, mounted on wrought-iron bases. A Provençal signature radiating through 1960s French furniture.

Roger Capron tables, particularly the Vallauris-signed coffee tables, are now among the most sought-after French pieces on the vintage market. Their auction prices climb, but they can still be found second-hand to build an interior between sun and craftsmanship.