Xavier Pauchard, inventor of the Tolix chair

Xavier Pauchard (1880-1948) invented one of the most recognisable French chairs in the world. A Burgundian blacksmith based in Autun, he mastered the technique of galvanised sheet metal from the 1920s and founded the Tolix company in 1927. In 1934, he filed the patent for the A chair: a seat in galvanised steel sheet, stackable, indestructible, which would soon equip café terraces, bistros and gardens throughout Europe. A hundred years later, the Tolix chair is still produced in Autun and remains an absolute classic of French outdoor furniture.

The A chair and H stool from Tolix, in coloured galvanised steel sheet, remain Xavier Pauchard's most iconic pieces. Vintage bistro chairs to find for those wanting a French outdoor furniture classic, recognisable at first glance.