Looking to refresh your living space but want to differentiate from the standard and obvious choices? We've compiled a list of the best design and furniture shops in and around Lausanne.
Who is sick of trekking to Aubonne and Etoy on that boring stretch of autoroute to shop for furniture? And then seeing that same furniture in everyone else’s home? Well, we are.
While the Big Yellow and Blue has many redeeming products (paper napkins, meatballs and scented candles), luckily for us (and you!), there are a plethora of other options for furniture, lighting and home accessories. Really, a true plethora. Switzerland in general, and the Lausanne region in particular, has a lot to offer in terms of furniture design and resale. Here are just a some of the places where you can go to find just the piece you are looking for, or the object you didn’t know you needed. With the advice of experts of the field waiting for you in these boutiques, you can just skip Aubonne altogether, and shop outside the predetermined route.
Batiplus (Puidoux)
A large and luminous showroom just off the highway leading towards Vevey, Batiplus offers a large range of furniture, lighting and accessories for the home and the office. The showroom is well organized by brand and the staff is friendly and helpful. You can download an app on your smartphone, which will give you the information and prices of the different objects when scanned. Batiplus is well-known in the world of office furniture, delivering well thought-out and contemporary designs. It also presents a large variety of brands for the home that include the Scandinavian design giants like Muuto, Hay, Louis Poulsen and Fritz Hansen, but also Italian design like Artemide and Flos in the lighting department, as well as furniture and accessories by Kartell, Moroso and Poliform. Swiss brands are also represented: the young design studio Superlife, or more well-known manufacturers like Wogg, Vitra and USM. The front of the showroom is dedicated to small gift objects, and an online platform makes it easy to order from your own uncomfortable sofa that you are wanting to replace. It also has a large selection of outdoor furniture, perhaps the best selection in the Lausanne area.
Behr, Créateur d’intérieurs (Lutry)
Previously located in the center of Lausanne, this multibrand furniture and lighting store recently moved into a new building in Lutry and incorporated Passion Cuisine, a kitchen resaler, and Elite luxury beds and mattresses thus providing a complete offer for the home. Known for their interior design work, the experts of Behr accompany the client all throughout a project, helping to choose materials and colors as well as furniture. Under the guidance of Isabelle Wirthner, Behr presents a large curated selection of high-end Italian, Scandinavian and Swiss brands such as Desalto, Cappellini, Minotti, Poltrona Frau, CC Tapis, De Sede, Mobimex, Tossa and many others. The showroom caters to the well-to-do Lutry residents offering a classic esthetic with an elegant twist.
Moyard (Morges)
A family-run business for generations, the Moyard showroom is set right in the middle of downtown Morges, spanning several historic buildings. Now under the direction of the newest generation, Matthieu Winkler, the store has been modernized while staying true to its roots. With a sharp eye for design and a hand in the local design and art scene, Matthieu launched Editions by Moyard, a line of furniture and home accessories, as well as Villa Moyard, where he organizes exhibitions by local artists in the company’s workshops. Moyard regularly has pop-up events and shops in downtown Lausanne, some of which combine art and design. Moyard remains known for its specialized craftspeople in fields related to the renovation and upholstery of furniture, as well as working closely with carpenters to create bespoke cabinetry. And of course Moyard sells the major Italian and Swiss brands of furniture and lighting, as well as textiles, known for their design and quality (Cassina, Arper, Flexform, Minotti, Poliform, Vitra, Artek, Flis, FontanaArte, Tom Dixon, and more).
Chic Cham (Lausanne)
Under the watchful and fashion-forward eye of founder and owner Annabelle Denten, Chic Cham is Lausanne’s go-to “concept store” (we say concept store because it is more than a furniture store). Chic Cham also sells fun, small objects and gifts. But don’t let the fun distract you from Annabelle’s deep knowledge of design. Chic Cham sells both vintage pieces as well as contemporary brands like Hay and Fermliving, Established and Sons, And Tradition and Valerie Objets. Annabelle works with local artists and designers to develop and manufacture rugs. Recent collaborations have included the graphic design studios Atelier Poisson and Balmer Hälen as well as product designer Adrien Rovero. Clients can also design bespoke rugs. Chic Cham regularly organizes themed exhibitions and festive openings around certain themes.
Ligne Roset (Lausanne)
A staple in French contemporary furniture, Ligne Roset has a beautiful showroom in Lausanne that features furniture, lighting and accessories (carpets, decorative objects) of the brand. A distinguishing point of difference that sets Ligne Roset apart from other manufacturers is its tradition of investing in dynamic designer collaborations. Matching its deeply-held belief in design with investment and technical innovation, Ligne Roset has grown from a small business to a multinational company. All the while, the company has been family-run since its inception in 1860. Past, present and ongoing collaborations are impressive and include the award-winning Didier Gomez, Pascal Mourgue, Peter Maly, Pierre Paulin, Inga Sempé and the Bouroullec brothers, among others. You would definitely recognize one of their most notorious pieces from the 70s: the Togo.
Uniquement Votre (Lausanne)
Nestled in the Sebeillon semi-industrial neighborhood of Lausanne, Uniquement Votre is a destination store–you just don’t happen to walk by. The space itself is like a maze as the building was built in the ’40s and was originally a wine warehouse. Uniquement Votre uses all the crooks and crannies to exhibit their carefully curated selection of modern and contemporary furniture and home accessories. From major pieces of furniture like sofas to small accessories like candles, Uniquement Votre carefully chooses their selection to cater to everyone’s desires. It proposes a less classic and traditional selection than other stores, carrying more provocative brands like Seletti. They also have a “historic” department that restores old Eames chairs, and a sale section which is always worth checking out–we will never say no to good design at a good price. There is also a bar area and a “gift shop” with smaller items and some books. The team is composed of interior designers who additionally work on more important projects.
Roche Bobois (Crissier)
A French manufacturer of high-end furniture, Roche Bobois has been around for 60 years. It is behind the iconic Mah-Jong sofas designed by Hans Hopfer in 1971, which represented a total freedom of function and form. Starting with three basic elements that can be combined or stacked, the Mah Jong allows limitless options of composition. It can be an armchair, sofa, lounge chair or bed; a space in which to rest, to play or to lounge. It encourages experimentation and breaks the rules of formal living, reflecting the nonconformist era in which it was born. Roche Bobois continues to break with traditional design through collaborations with designers and artists, producing iconic pieces that are bold and refreshing. If you like colors and unflinching motifs, check out their latest collaboration with Portuguese visual artist Joana Vasconcelos.
Wohnshop Projecto (Lausanne)
Reflecting a very Swiss aesthetic of design, this store in downtown Lausanne is where to find Vitra and USM products. Most of their business is based on interior design products, but their store is a minimalist breath of fresh air, presenting beautiful pieces in an under-crowded space. They also carry the major Italian brands like Cassina and MDF Italia, Scandinavian brands like Montana as well as lighting. For the home or for the office space (or today for the home office!), Wohnshop Projecto is a highly reliable expert in the domain. Plus, it’s right on your way to the Freitag store…so why not stop and take a look around?
Atelier Pfister (in all Pfister stores)
Everyone knows Pfister. But not everyone knows about Atelier Pfister. What began as a prize to help young designers gain visibility and recognition has today become a brand in and of itself. Under the direction of the acclaimed Zurich-based designer Alfredo Häberli, Atelier Pfister develops new and innovative products that display Switzerland’s contemporary and forward-thinking vision of product, furniture and textile design. Dimitri Bähler, Jörg Boner, Claudia Caviezel, Frédéric Dedelley, Adrien Rovero, Lela Scherrer, Moritz Schmid et This Weber are just some of the designers that have participated in making Atelier Pfister a recognized and important piece of the Swiss design puzzle.
For furniture shops in the Geneva area check out:
Second-hand & Vintage
Port-Franc (Lausanne)
Kissthedesign (Lausanne)
Odile (Vevey)
Chic Cham (Lausanne)