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Jean Royère Furniture

French, 1902-1981

World traveler, polyglot and avant-garde visionary Jean Royère (1902–81) is one of the biggest names in French mid-century design. He was fascinated by different materials, such as raffia and zebrawood, and aesthetics from around the world, from Scandinavian modernism to the traditions of the Middle East. Owing to this venturesome spirit, Royère produced an eclectic body of work that truly doesn’t fit a singular style. One light fixture might have organic shapes reminiscent of Art Nouveau, while a table would be crafted with minimalist straw marquetry.

Born in Paris, Royère studied classics at Cambridge University and then worked for an import-export company. In 1931, he switched gears to design, studying cabinetmaking in the workshops of Faubourg Saint-Antoine and furniture making under the tutelage of Pierre Gouffé. He made his debut in interior design in 1934 when he won a design contest for the brasserie in the Hotel Carlton on the Champs-Élysées.

Royère’s most famous piece of furniture was his biomorphic Boule sofa, sometimes playfully called the Ours Polaire, or Polar Bear. Designed for his mother in 1947, the curved sofa with its fuzzy white velvet shocked the French interior design world when it was displayed at the Art et Industrie exhibition, but it proved enduringly popular with customers, such as the Shah of Iran, who purchased several for his daughter. Royère would continue to design furniture and interiors for an elite clientele, including the kings of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Royère retired in 1972, then moved to the United States in 1980. After he died a year later, his archives were given to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His works continue to be highly coveted — Kanye West, for instance, once tweeted that the Polar Bear sofa is his favorite piece of furniture. In 2016, Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris opened a retrospective of his distinctive designs, from the plush 1943 Eléphanteau chair to the 1963 Tour Eiffel table with its elegant metal supports.

Find vintage Jean Royère tables, storage cabinets and other furniture today on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Jean Royère
Jean Royere Book by Catherine and Stephane de Beyrie and Jacques Ouaiss
By Jean Royère
Located in New York, NY
Book with stiff pictorial wrappers showcasing the work of renowned French designer Jean Royere, with many of the designs in this collection originating from Lebanese commissions. Pub...
Category

Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Jean Royère Furniture

Materials

Paper

Pair of 'Ondulation' stools by Jean Royère
By Jean Royère
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Pair of 'Ondulation' stools by Jean Royère. Made in tubular brass, brass, fabric. Jean Royère took on the mantle of the great artistes décorateurs of 1940s France and ran with it int...
Category

1950s French Art Deco Vintage Jean Royère Furniture

Materials

Brass

Royere Gouffe Cerused Oak Daybed Deco, France, 1930s-1940s Midcentury
By Maison Gouffé, Jean Royère
Located in New York, NY
Royere Gouffe cerused oak daybed deco, France, 1930s-1940s midcentury Amazing rare pair of daybeds designed by Royere and made by Maison Gouffe. In...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Jean Royère Furniture

Materials

Oak

'40s Jean Royère 'Sangle' Armchair in cotton and wood
By Jean Royère
Located in Paris, FR
Jean Royère 'Sangle' armchair 1946 Wood, cotton Measures: 81 x 53 x 55 cm
Category

1940s French Vintage Jean Royère Furniture

Materials

Cotton, Wood

'50s Jean Royère 'Ours Polaire' Armchair in Oak and Velvet Upholstery
By Jean Royère
Located in Paris, FR
Jean Royère 'Ours polaire' armchair 1950 Oak and velvet upholstery
Category

1950s European Vintage Jean Royère Furniture

Materials

Upholstery, Velvet, Oak

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Pair of "Trèfles" Armchairs
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H 32.29 in W 23.63 in D 22.45 in
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Jean Royère Serving Trolley Gilded Metal Mirrored Glass, 1950
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Stool
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Rectangular seat stool covered with a sand-colored fabric by Pierre Frey. X-shaped legs in horn of plenty joined by a sycamore spacer.
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1930s French Vintage Jean Royère Furniture

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Stool
Stool
H 19.3 in W 23.23 in D 16.15 in
Club Armchair
By Jean Royère
Located in Paris, FR
Club armchair circa 1937 with straight slanted back and full arms with rounded cuffs on a cubic sycamore corner base. Fully upholstered in a sand-colored fabric by Pierre Frey.
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1930s French Vintage Jean Royère Furniture

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Club Armchair
Club Armchair
H 23.63 in W 31.5 in D 31.5 in
Jean Royère Cheminees et Coins de Feu
By Jean Royère
Located in CA, CA
Jean Royère Cheminees et Coins de Feu Edition d'Art Charles Moreau, Paris 1950. First Edition. Illustrated paper covered boards with cloth spine. Folio with a suite 42 of loose photographic plates as issued in portfolio. with cloth spine. 42 black and white photographic plates of various fireplaces designed by A. Bernard, Roger Berthier, Leleu, Jacques Mottheau...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Jean Royère Furniture

Materials

Paper

Jean Royère Cheminees et Coins de Feu
Jean Royère Cheminees et Coins de Feu
H 13.19 in W 10.04 in D 0.79 in
Jean Royère, Four-Branched "Boquet" Wall Lamp, Gilded Metal, France, circa 1950
By Jean Royère
Located in High Point, NC
A master of many mediums, few of Jean Royère's works are more iconic than his imaginative, organically shaped, and often colorful lamps. Bearing it's original gilded metal, this lamp has an elegant yet playful expression. Provenance: 1950 Gallery...
Category

1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jean Royère Furniture

Materials

Metal

Jean Royère furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Jean Royère furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Jean Royère furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Jean Touret, Marc Held, and Philippe Cheverny. Prices for Jean Royère furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $445 and can go as high as $33,203, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $5,378.
Questions About Jean Royère Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 26, 2024
    What a fancy armchair is called depends on its design. Here are some of the most common types of fancy armchairs: An armchair with an exposed, elaborately carved wood frame and a deep seat is a bergère, while one that has a tall back that wraps inwards is a wingback chair. A balloon chair is an ornate, dramatic armchair with a soaring back that forms a half dome at the top. Chesterfield is the name for a boxy armchair with a low, rolled back that continues along the sides, forming arms. Explore a wide variety of armchairs on 1stDibs.

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