Charpentier is best known for his creations of furniture and functional objects, which are characterized by elegant, uncluttered design. He has designed pieces for numerous companies, such as the "Plia" chair for Italian brand Giancarlo Piretti and the "Tubulaire" furniture range for French brand Roche Bobois.
During his career, Charpentier won numerous awards and distinctions, including the René Gabriel prize for the "Plia" chair in 1968 and the Observeur du design prize in 2001 for the "Tracé" coffee table.
Charpentier also taught industrial design at the École supérieure d'arts appliqués et de métiers d'art in Paris and was a member of the Alliance française des designers. He left an important legacy in French industrial design, thanks to his talent and commitment to innovation and the aesthetic and functional quality of the objects he created.