There is an inherent complexity that comes from the defining modular characteristics of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec's designs. The elder brother, Ronan, looks to the nomadic lifestyle to create concepts that are practical, highly adaptable to the needs of the buyer, and yet encompass a certain "délicatesse." Or, as the brothers put it, an "épuré" or "unadorned" element. Although frequently complex in nature, the designs forgo the use of materials or forms that are overly convoluted. Essentially stripping the configurations of everything the Bouroullecs deem as "unnecessary." And while some might refer to their style as minimalism, the brothers firmly oppose this notion of vague simplicity.
The Breton-born brother duo kickstarted their international career in the nineties when a prototype of an early design of their deconstructed kitchen caught the eye of internationally renowned architect Giulio Cappellini, the founder and director of the Italian furniture company. Although based in Paris, the Bouroullec brothers were offered their first industrial design commissions from the Milanese Capellini company. One such commission was for the acclaimed Lit Clos Bed, sometimes also referred to as the "Closed Bed." The current Lit Clos, produced by Galerie Kreo in 2000, is number two of a limited edition of eight pieces produced in both a low and high elevation. Two artist proofs and two prototypes were also produced at this time.
Reminiscent of the "Box-beds" common to Late Medieval Breton homes, the Lit Clos is, in essence, a cross between a bed and a bedroom. Its purpose is to offer protection and intimacy in a space that might otherwise not be able to provide such accommodations, all while avoiding a sense of claustrophobia due to the open metalwork configuration of the structure siding. Like many other Bouroullec designs, the Lit Clos was intended to easily assemble for installation in a variety of room configurations and disassemble in a manner ideal for transportation.
The designs of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have won several awards since their rise to popularity in the nineties, including the Grand Prix du Design de la Ville de Paris (1998), the Salon du Meuble (designers of the Year 2002), the Finn-Juhl Prize Copenhagen (2008), The London Design Medal (best designers 2014), and The Design Prize and the City of Milan official award (2017). In 2019, the Bouroullec brothers were given the opportunity to conceive and produce a new series of fountains for the illustrious roundabout of the Champs-Elysées. This model is in the permanent collection of the Centre Pompidou (inv. no. AM 2010-1-73). Further examples of their work can be found in the permanent collections of international museums like the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Design Museum in London.