A private ceremony was held this morning in Nîmes to remember Pierre Paulin. The Paris-born designer died on Saturday at the age of 81. A leading figure of Mid-Century Modern design in France—said to have revolutionized the art of the chair beginning in the late fifties—Paulin had recently been enjoying newfound fame among younger generations with new designs and a retrospective of his 40-year collaboration with the Mobilier National just last year. Among his most noteworthy projects, Paulin furnished the Elysée Palace in Paris for presidents Georges Pompidou and François Mitterrand.

Pierre Paulin in 2007

Paulin's Flower chair and Elysée shelf for Italian manufacturer Magis, presented at this year's Salone del Mobile in Milan.