André Sornay chair
About the Item
- Creator:Andre Sornay (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 24.41 in (62 cm)Depth: 25.6 in (65 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:LYON, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7407234546922
Andre Sornay
Although he is among the least known of the like-minded French Art Deco furniture designers of his era, André Sornay introduced innovative fabrication techniques and a unique decorative style to his modernist seating, case pieces and other creations.
Sornay was born in Lyon in 1902, and graduated from École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in 1918. His career as a furniture designer began in 1919 when he was appointed head of his family’s furniture company after his father’s death.
In the early 1920s — inspired by the Bauhaus and De Stijl as well as his friends and fellow French avant-garde designers Francis Jourdain and Pierre Chareau — Sornay shifted the company’s focus from manufacturing period reproductions to creating contemporary designs.
Sornay’s work fused tradition with modernism. He preferred to work with metals, exotic woods such as mahogany and rosewood, rubber and Duco lacquer for a range of cabinets, desks, chairs and mirrors. Sornay’s pieces featured sleek brass drawer pulls and sharply geometric lines, and the distinctive mode that he worked in was known throughout Lyon as “Le Style Sornay.”
Sornay was also recognized for his inventive design methods that were not only decorative but functional. In 1932, he patented the cloudage technique — studding the perimeter of veneered furniture panels with uniform brass nails. Sornay integrated this technique into his wardrobes, side tables and the armchairs he designed, which were frequently defined by clean lines and sharp angles. In the early 1950s, he also patented a technique called the “Tigette,” which allowed for quick and easy assembly or disassembly of modular furniture — a forerunner to IKEA’s flat-packed furniture.
While Sornay isn’t as well known as other European modernists like Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, he attracted modest attention at exhibitions of the day, such as the 1923 Salon d’Automne and the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, the design fair that brought the Art Deco style to the world. He was awarded the bronze medal at Paris’s Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in 1937.
In the late 1950s, Sornay ceded control of his furniture design company to his children, remaining as an advisor until production ceased in 1999. He died the following year.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage André Sornay case pieces and storage cabinets, seating and tables.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: LYON, France
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- André Sornay bookcaseBy Andre SornayLocated in LYON, FRVintage bookcase from the 60's by designer and publisher André Sornay, famous Lyon cabinetmaker and master of art deco furniture. Stamped with the Sornay sticker. Electric blue panel...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsBeech, Lacquer
- André Sornay chest of drawersBy Andre SornayLocated in LYON, FR70's chest of drawers by designer and publisher André Sornay, famous Lyon cabinetmaker and master of Art Deco furniture, renowned for his studded furniture...Category
Mid-20th Century French Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsLaminate, Beech
- Pierre Guariche G10 armchairs for AirborneBy Pierre GuaricheLocated in LYON, FRPair of armchairs model G10 by Pierre Guariche (1926-1995) for the publisher Airborne in the 1950s. Complete restoration by our upholsterer partner, a specialist in 20th-century fur...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Danish “PJ 56” armchairs by Grete Jalk for Poul JeppesenBy Grete JalkLocated in LYON, FRDanish “PJ 56” armchairs by Grete Jalk for Poul Jeppesen Pair of solid Rio rosewood PJ 56 armchairs by Danish designer Grete Jalk for Poul Jeppesen. Rare in t...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Palisander
- René-Jean Caillette sideboard in palisander for Georges CharronBy René-Jean CailletteLocated in LYON, FRSideboard by the French designer René Jean Caillette (René Gabriel prize 1952). Model "Sylvie" edited by Georges Charron in Rio rosewood and stainless steel. Nice choice of le...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Façade element Jean Prouvé 1965By Jean ProuvéLocated in LYON, FRJean Prouvé (1901-1984) Architectural element Facade element from 1965. Enamelled metal and aluminium ventilation grille. Beige color. Produced and marketed by CIMT-Jean Prouvé. Pr...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsSteel
- Armchair by André SornayBy Andre SornayLocated in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire1950s armchair by French designer André Sornay. Timber frame with upholstered drop in seat and drop in back cushion. Good vintage condition for this rare sought after armchair. Andr...Category
Mid-20th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Set of 2 Low chairs by Andre Sornay, 1960By Andre SornayLocated in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FRSet of 2 low chairs designed by French cabinetmaker: Andre Sornay during the 60s in France Structure with four feet in mahogany completed with white laminate panels (back)- connected...Category
Mid-20th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Foam, Mahogany
- Pine Andre Sornay armchair, France, 1950'sBy Andre SornayLocated in Austin, TXPine armchair by Andre Sornay, French designer known for his sublime simplicity. France, 1950's.Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPine
- Pair of Andre Sornay Armchairs, circa 1960, FranceBy Andre SornayLocated in Girona, SpainPair of Andre Sornay armchairs. This armchair will warm up your interior with the color of its wood, a perfect piece for a chalet-type interior...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPine
- Pair of Mid-Century André Sornay Armchairs, France, circa 1960sBy Andre SornayLocated in New York, NYVintage pair of mid-century André Sornay pine and black lacquered armchairs from France, c. 1960s. Part of the makers patented "tigette" system.Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPine
- Beech chairs by André SornayBy Andre SornayLocated in Sammu-shi, ChibaVintage dining chair by French designer André Sornay. It is manufactured with a design that is assembled by tightening bolts from one side. Manufacturer is his own workshop, Sornay M...Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBeech