Florian Roeper was born in Heidelberg, Germany in 1977.
Son of an Italian mother and a German father, he learned to make sense of living in a culturally-diverse family from an early age. His childhood was shaped by periods of living between Germany and California, along with countless trips to visit his grandparents in Italy. He was never the smartest kid in class, but he had more perspective than the others.
In 2003, Florian graduated from the California College of Arts and Crafts in San Francisco with a BFA in furniture and sculpture. That same year, he founded Studio Roeper. The art school years, as well as an apprenticeship with Bay Area master craftsman, Al Garvey, were crucial in establishing the building blocks for his burgeoning furniture-making career. These early years produced iconic pieces such as THE BRIDGE and DIVIDED LANDS, which live in private homes as well as Louis Vuitton boutiques around the world and still are best-sellers to this day.
Florian's style is born out of the era of art furniture [1990s to mid 2000s] during which furniture galleries across the country were thriving. Collectors were purchasing and commissioning works from the masters of the time: Sam Maloof, Wendle Castle, Garry Knox Bennett, etc., whose styles ranged from traditional to quirky. By the mid 2000s, the fever for art furniture came to a grinding halt and Florian switched his focus away from galleries and towards a fresh and promising market: interior designers. This was his introduction to a clientele that was looking for artistic pieces for the home that were unique, but also functional and easy to live with. To this day, Florian is awarded commissions by private collectors, interior designers and luxury hotels and boutiques from around the world.
"Decoration is easy. Restraint is difficult", says Florian. His latest creations, including DOMUS and PHANTOM, utilize simple forms and are imbued with his never-ending fascination for juxtaposing materials and his keen sense for minimalism. He loves art history and is especially inspired by Italian Renaissance art and architecture. "When I'm in Italy, I skip the tourist attractions and head straight for the churches".
This guy will pour all of his passion into your dream table.