"We assemble in the air. We store our lives in the clouds. This is furniture for the internet of things." - Robert Arpin
Raised on cliffs overlooking Lake Champlain, PARLOUR™ founder and design directer Robert Arpin is a hard-wired environmentalist. Driven by a love of nature and a commitment to the future, his designs promote a nomadic manufacturing model that disrupts the modernist narrative of centralized mass production.
Inspired by the theatrics of early 90's New York and overcome by an urge to nest, Mr. Arpin enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology's Interior Design program in 1994. Throughout the late 90’s he worked with architect Robert Rossi for clients such as the Smithsonian Institution, Zimmerman AIA and restaurateur Marvin Paige. His design for Chelsea Lobster Company drew this praise from The Village Voice: "David Rockwell's work at Nobu comes to mind, except it is not so garish here, though just as slick".
The turn of the millennium provoked a move from the drafting table to the laptop. The distillation of 15 years of effort, Mr. Arpin’s brand PARLOUR™ produces furniture for the information age. The intangibles demand attention. Building community, reducing carbon and disrupting the narrative are no longer novel ideals. They are essential.