menu

A house of tradition focused on creation

Maison Louis Drucker, founded in 1885 by Louis Drucker, is the oldest artisanal French rattan seat factory. Maison Louis Drucker is quite a story.

Louis Drucker was born in Poland in 1864. In 1865 his family left Poland, running away from the climate of terror and intolerance imposed by Russia following the January 1863 uprising. Along with ten thousand other Poles, the Drucker family settled in France first in Alsace then in Paris. Louis learned the profession of rattan worker in Lyon at Maison Martiné, then completed his training with that of bamboo worker. He is a diligent, talented and imaginative student. After acquiring French nationality, he decided to set up on his own. Louis Drucker opened in 1885, with Mr. Leredde, one of the apprentices of Maison Martiné, a Lilliputian workshop of 24 square meters at number 180 rue des Pyrénées in the XXth arrondissement of Paris.

Awards will crown the quality of the creations of the Leredde and Drucker company. After the Great War, Mr. Leredde left the company. Louis Drucker alone takes control of the house. His wife helps him and brings her artistic talent by coloring the sketch plates with watercolors, giving each of the creations a unique tone. In 1919, the first catalog was launched. Orders are pouring in. The premises are getting too small. The workshop moves to Béthisy-Saint-Martin in Oise, the offices remain in Paris.

History from 1885 to the present day

In the 1920s, the rattan industry was at its peak. Maison Louis Drucker is not the only one on the market: Grock, Gatti, Petitot, Minot, Roberty, Raguet are its direct competitors. Maison Louis Drucker is distinguished by its always qualitative production, its taste for color, essential in the diversification and sophistication of the models. The jacquard of its canings is made by real artists, mostly women, who combine technical prowess and artistic talent.

Rattan became a favorite material for designing all kinds of furniture: floor lamps, mirrors, magazine racks, umbrella stands, hall furniture, beds, headboards… In the 1930s, rattan furniture was hit hard by the crisis following the stock market crash of 1929. One after the other, factories put the key under the door. Maison Louis Drucker resists. On the eve of the Second World War, Maison Louis Drucker produced 80% of rattan furniture on the market. Maurice Drucker, the grandson of Louis Drucker and the last Drucker to manage the company died in 1979. Maison Louis Drucker then passed into new hands and developed in particular for catering furniture. The PARISIAN BISTROT CHAIR becomes the Drucker chair.

In 1991, the gloomy economic context following the Gulf War led to a drop in production. Then began a difficult period for Drucker which would last for twenty years until his receivership in 2005.

A new start

Having previously worked in the industrial sector, Bruno Dubois fell in love with this company which he bought in 2006. After this firm and courageous takeover, the company resurfaced and began to regain market share.
Maison Louis Drucker furniture is now present in more than 80 countries around the world. The “FRENCH BISTROT CHAIR” icon of Parisian terraces sits in terraces, restaurants and hotels around the world.

Today the greatest decorators of all nationalities, French, American, Japanese, Australian, Canadian also seize it for the use of the private individuals, to equip verandas and winter gardens, to cover the kitchens of magnificent colors in the spirit “Parisian bistro”. New models are periodically designed by these great designers: Stark, Peter Marino, India Mahdavi,… and made by Louis Drucker. Maison Louis Drucker also draws inspiration from its archives to reinterpret the most beautiful creations.

The defining characteristics of Maison Louis Drucker

The know-how of Maison Louis Drucker has been passed down since the 19th century from generation to generation. A great creativity marks the history of Drucker, accompanied by the constant concern to preserve the best of the past and the greatest requirement in the choice of materials.

With its rattan structure dressed in brightly colored caning, the Drucker chair has become a Parisian icon in just over a century. The ultimate in comfort, aesthetics, lightness and solidity. Both playful, jovial and bright. An innate elegance worthy of the capital, a perfume from elsewhere too. Maison Louis Drucker gave birth to a symbol: THE PARISIAN BISTROT CHAIR, which has become over time a striking symbol of Parisian identity. It is inseparable from the brand image and personality of the most prestigious establishments.
Maison Louis Drucker is labeled “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” (“Living Heritage Company”). Recognition of its exceptional historical know-how awarded by the french Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Maison Louis Drucker manufactures “custom-made”: which means that when you call on Drucker to create your furniture, you choose their shape, their colors and their canework, thus creating your personalized design.