Roche Bobois: the French house of contemporary statement furniture
Roche Bobois has been producing high-end French upholstered furniture since 1960. They are the brand behind the Mah Jong sofa (Hans Hopfer, 1971), one of the most photographed modular sofas of the past 50 years. Here's the short story.
Roche Bobois listings are higher-volume than most casual observers expect. Our curators see steady supply from French and Belgian sellers; demand spans our broader EU buyer base.
Roche Bobois was founded in 1960 in Paris by the merger of two furniture stores, Roche and Bobois (yes, the name is just both surnames). The company's positioning from day one was contemporary high-end French upholstery, and they have stayed close to that brief for 65 years.
The Mah Jong sofa (Hans Hopfer, 1971) is the calling card. A modular floor-cushion system originally designed for low-floor Japanese-style interiors, evolved into a flexible seating system that can be configured into corners, U-shapes, daybeds, or just piles of cushions for reading. The Mah Jong has been continuously produced and reupholstered in different fabric collaborations (Kenzo, Missoni, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier and others) ever since. It is one of the most photographed sofas of the past 50 years.
Beyond the Mah Jong, Roche Bobois produces work by Christophe Delcourt, Sacha Lakic, Cédric Ragot, Stephen Burks, and a roster of mostly French and French-adjacent designers. The catalogue leans contemporary rather than mid-century, which is a different position from most of the brands in this guide.
What to look for on the secondhand market: authentic Roche Bobois pieces carry the Roche Bobois label sewn inside the upholstery. The Mah Jong specifically has the brand identifier on the underside of the seat cushion connectors.
Vintage 1970s and 80s Mah Jongs sell on Whoppah at €1,800 to €4,200 for a four-piece set, depending on the fabric collaboration and condition. The Missoni and Kenzo fabric collaborations command a premium over plain-colour upholstery. The Mah Jong has been reupholstered in countless household configurations; reupholstered pieces in non-original fabric sell for less than original-fabric pieces but are still legitimate Roche Bobois production.
The Mah Jong has been imitated, particularly by Asian manufacturers in the 2010s. Look for the Roche Bobois label and the specific quilting pattern on each cushion. The connectors that link cushion sections are also distinctive: real Mah Jong has cloth-strap connectors with metal D-rings.
