André Sornay Furniture
French, 1902-2000
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.
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Item Ships From: Europe
Creator: André Sornay
Pair of André Sornay Armchairs in Sapele Mahogany and Bouclé, France, 1950s
By Andre Sornay
Located in The Hague, NL
This rare pair of armchairs was designed by André Sornay and produced by his workshop in Lyon in the early 1950s. High, angled backrest in sapele mahogany with upholstered cushions. ...
Category
1950s French Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Bouclé, Chenille, Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany
Set of 2 Low chairs by Andre Sornay, 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Set 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 André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Foam, Mahogany
Pair of Andre Sornay bridge chairs stained Oregon pine, ebonised wood
By Andre Sornay
Located in grand Lancy, CH
Pair of bridge chairs stained Oregon pine on the back side , lacquer olive green color wood, brass nail-heads and fabric upholstery, each underside stamped 'BREVETE SORNAY/FRANCE ETR...
Category
1930s French Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
Pair of Andre Sornay bridge chairs stained Oregon pine, ebonised wood
By Andre Sornay
Located in grand Lancy, CH
Pair of bridge chairs stained Oregon pine on the back side , lacquer olive green color wood, brass nail-heads and fabric upholstery, each underside stamped 'BREVETE SORNAY/FRANCE ETR...
Category
1930s French Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
Andre Sornay console table, 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Console table designed by French cabinet maker Andre Sornay in the sixties
Structure in beech with red lacquered panels
Drawer on one side
Tigette system
Category
Mid-20th Century French André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Beech
André Sornay bookcase
By Andre Sornay
Located in LYON, FR
Vintage 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 André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Beech, Lacquer
André Sornay Armchair, circa 1920
By Andre Sornay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
André Sornay (1902-2000).
Furniture designer from Lyon (France) of the 20th century. He owes his recognition to his modernist vision of the furniture, including in particular, the u...
Category
1920s French Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Mahogany, Upholstery
André Sornay Highboard in Mahogany and Ash
By Andre Sornay
Located in Waalwijk, NL
André Sornay for Atelier Sornay, wardrobe or armoire, ash, mahogany, France, 1950s
Iconic midcentury wardrobe by French designer André Sornay. With its geometric design and the com...
Category
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Ash, Mahogany
Set of 2 Andre Sornay armchairs mahogany and velvet 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Pair of armchairs by Andre Sornay in the sixties
Structure in mahogany with cushions in foam covered by velvet fabric
Tigette system
some traces of time on the structure
Fabric is new
Category
Mid-20th Century French André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Velvet, Mahogany
Armchair by André Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
1950s 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 André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Wood and leather armchair by the french designer André Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in PARIS, FR
Armchair by French designer André Sornay, 1950s. Wooden frame, gray leather seat and back. Very good condition.
Lp1150-1151
Category
Mid-20th Century André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Leather, Wood
Modernist Sideboard In Studded Rosewood By Andre Sornay, France 1940s
By Andre Sornay
Located in Hellouw, NL
Modernist sideboard in studded rosewood by Andre Sornay.Andre Sornay was an extremely gifted furniture designer who belonged to the absolute avant-garde both conceptually and artisti...
Category
1940s French Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Travertine
André Sornay chair
By Andre Sornay
Located in LYON, FR
Pair of 60's armchairs by designer and editor André Sornay, famous Lyon cabinetmaker and master of Art Deco furniture with its studded joints.
Structure in varnished solid beech.
Gl...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Laminate, Beech
André Sornay chest of drawers
By Andre Sornay
Located in LYON, FR
70'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 André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Laminate, Beech
rare André Sornay sideboard in Oregon pine and studded 40s art deco modernist
By Andre Sornay
Located in Lyon, FR
Sideboard of the Lyon designer André Sornay dating from the 40s. Structure in veneered and solid Oregon pine, stained on the bottom of the base in black. The sideboard is composed of...
Category
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Brass
Console or high desk by André Sornay, circa 1955
By Andre Sornay
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
Rare high desk or console by André Sornay, cabinetmaker, painter and designer from Lyon.
Composed of two inverted U-shaped legs on which a black lacquered top rests and accommodate...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
Console by André Sornay, circa 1955
By Andre Sornay
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
Desk or console by the cabinetmaker and designer from Lyon, André Sornay.
It is composed of an inverted U-shaped base mounted in straight tails on which rests a blue lacquered ash t...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
1940s Oregon Pine Coat Rack with Pegs by André Sornay French Art Deco Modernist
By Andre Sornay
Located in Lyon, FR
1940s Wall coat rack by French designer André Sornay. Structure in solid Oregon wood and veneer highlighted by a system of brass nails perfectly aligned underlining the sober and pur...
Category
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Brass
Sideboard by Andre Sornay in Beech and Zebrano, circa 1940
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Sideboard designed by Andre Sornay in the forties
Structure in beech, front and side panels in zebrano veneer
2 sliding doors in front, one central shelf inside
some traces of tim...
Category
Mid-20th Century French André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Beech, Zebra Wood
Andre Sornay Set of 2 Chairs in Solid Wood and Grey Lacquer, 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Set of 2 chairs designed by the famous French cabinetmaker Andre Sornay in 1960.
Composed of a 4 legs base, completed by a lacquered seat and backrest, structure in wood
All assem...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Brass
Set of 2 Chairs by Andre Sornay, 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Set of 2 chairs designed by Andre Sornay in France in the 1950s
Structure with 4 feet in mahogany, seat and back in wood covered with a off white lacq...
Category
Mid-20th Century French André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
1930s Modernist Wardrobe by André Sornay, Stamped and Documented
By Andre Sornay
Located in London, GB
This masterful and exceptionally proportioned Modernist wardrobe by André Sornay shows why his stature as one of the most important designers ...
Category
1940s French Art Deco Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
Andre Sornay Shelf in Solid Wood France 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Shelf designed and manufactured by the famous french cabinetmaker Andre Sornay in the 1960s.
Composed of a solid wood structure assembled with the tigette system patented by the de...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
Square Coffee Table by French Andre Sornay Beech and Black Laminate Top, 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Square coffee table by the famous French designer and cabinetmaker Andre Sornay produced in the 60s.
Composed of a solid beech structure and a black laminate top.
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Laminate, Beech
Set of 2 Chairs by Andre Sornay, 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Set of 2 chairs designed by Andre Sornay in France in the 1950s
Structure with 4 feet in mahogany, seat and back in wood covered with a black lacquer
...
Category
Mid-20th Century French André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
Square Coffee Table by French Andre Sornay Beech and Beige Laminate Top 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Square coffee table by the famous French designer and manufacturer Andre Sornay produced in the 1960s.
Composed of a structure in solid Beechwood and a beige laminate top in perfec...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Laminate, Beech
Square Coffee Table by French Andre Sornay Beech and Oak Top 1960,
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Square coffee table by the famous French Designer and manufacturer Andre Sornay produced in the 60s.
Composed of a solid beech structure and a oak veneer top. All in very good cond...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Beech, Oak
Pine Stool by Andre Sornay, 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Stool by Andre Sornay in the 60s.
Pine structure with rod system.
Nice patina of the wood.
Category
Late 20th Century French André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Pine
Andre Sornay Room Divider Cabinet, France, 1955
By Andre Sornay
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Stunning minimalistic room divider wardrobe designed by cabinet maker Andre Sornay, France 1955. This rare room divider cabinet was designed with his 'tigette system' which was basic...
Category
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood, Teak
Stunning Chest of Drawers by André Sornay, Art Déco, France, circa 1932
By Andre Sornay
Located in Paris, FR
Rare veneer varnished chest of drawers by André Sornay (1902-2000). Black lacquered wood base and handles with gilded brass nailing. Six drawers. Trace of signature on the base.
And...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Brass
André Sornay Mid-Century Modern French Cabinet, circa 1950
By Andre Sornay
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Cabinet designed by André Sornay.
Manufactured in France in 1950s.
In original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina.
The metal ba...
Category
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
Andre Sornay Beech Slatted Wood Dining Chairs, France, circa 1960 Mid Century
By Andre Sornay
Located in Milano, IT
Set of six Andre Sornay solid beech wood slatted chairs circa 1960 Lyon, France. Mid-Century Modern style. Note the curve in the seat makes these very ...
Category
19th Century French Mid-Century Modern Antique André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Beech
Rare André Sornay French Wardrobes Armoires Art Deco Modernist 40s - F613
By Andre Sornay
Located in Lyon, FR
Armoire, bookcase from the 50's by the french designer André Sornay. Structure in solid mahogany and veneer highlighted by a system of brass nails perfectly aligned around the furniture (see photos). The large sliding door opens on a series of solid wood shelves...
Category
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Brass, Copper
André Sornay Secretaire, circa 1930
By Andre Sornay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Andre´ Sornay secretaire, circa 1930
Signed.
Restored.
Certificate of authenticity from Thierry Roche, French expert for Andre´ Sornay.
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Brass
40's Cabinet by French Designer Andre Sornay Mahogany and Copper Art Deco
By Andre Sornay
Located in Lyon, FR
1940s cabinet by French designer André Sornay. The structure is made of solid mahogany and veneered wood, highlighted by a system of brass nails perfectly aligned around the edges of...
Category
1940s French Art Deco Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Brass, Copper
Pair of Andre Sornay Armchairs, circa 1960, France
By Andre Sornay
Located in Girona, Spain
Pair 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 André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Pine
Fabulous Andre Sornay Art Deco Canape, circa 1930
By Andre Sornay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
André Sornay - Sofa
André Sornay (1902-2000) Lyonnais creator, who owes his celebrity to his modernist vision of furniture, including the use of nails on his achievements.
Asymmet...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Wood
André Sornay Bookcase Art Deco, circa 1935
By Andre Sornay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
André Sornay bookcase, circa 1935, satin varnich, with inclusion of brass nails.
André Sornay (1902-2000) French creator from Lyon, who owes his celebrity to his modernist vision of...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
Pair of Andre Sornay Seats, circa 1950
By Andre Sornay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of Andre Sornay seats, circa 1950 (original fabric in perfct condition).
Category
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
André Sornay Dressing Table with Large Mirror, circa 1930
By Andre Sornay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Exceptional dressing table by André Sornay.
Restored
“Certificate of Authenticity” from Thierry Roche, French expert for André Sornay.
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood, Mirror
André Sornay Pair of Chairs, circa 1930
By Andre Sornay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
André Sornay pair of chairs, circa 1930.
“Certificate of Authenticity” from Thierry Roche, French expert for André Sornay.
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood, Fabric
Desk in Beech by Andre Sornay 1950
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Desk by Andre Sornay in the fifties
Structure in patinated beech with brown laminate top and side panels
3 drawers in front
traces of time on the wood and top.
Category
Mid-20th Century French André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Laminate, Beech
Dining Table by André Sornay, France
By Andre Sornay
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
André Sornay, cabinetmaker and designer from Lyon, was also an inventor. In the 1950s, he patented the so-called "tigettes" assembly system, which he used on many furniture such as t...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Wood
Pair of Armchairs by André Sornay, France, circa 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
A pair of armchairs by André Sornay, designed in the 1960s.
Typical of the "tigette" furniture, an assembly system patented by the designer, they are characterized by their high b...
Category
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage André Sornay Furniture
Materials
Beech
André Sornay furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
André Sornay furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of André Sornay furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by André Sornay were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Joseph-André Motte, Olivier Mourgue, and Rene Gabriel. Prices for André Sornay furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $534 and can go as high as $47,710, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,926.
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