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.
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. ...
Fabric, Bouclé, Chenille, Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany
Pine Andre Sornay armchair, France, 1950's
By Andre Sornay
Located in Austin, TX
Pine armchair by Andre Sornay, French designer known for his sublime simplicity. France, 1950's.
Pine
André Sornay, Armchair, Wood, Leather, France, 1940s
By Andre Sornay
Located in High Point, NC
A red leather and wood armchair designed and produced by André Sornay, France, 1940s. Heavy wear on arm rests with natural dry cracking. Moderate wear to fabric (residue buildup an...
Leather, Wood
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...
Pine
$4,825 / set
H 31.5 in W 24.41 in D 29.93 in
Roger Landault French Oak Compass Armchairs Wool Bouclé, 1950s
By Roger Landault
Located in Paris, IDF
These elegant compass armchairs are sure to add an element of modernism chic to any room in your home. Designed by Roger Landault in the late 1950s, w...
Oak
Pair of Carved Oak and Rush Armchairs, France, 1950s
By Charles Dudouyt
Located in Kaštel Sućurac, HR
Pair of armchairs, French workshop, 1950s, in the style of Charles Dudouyt. The frames are solid oak left pale and unstained, with square uprights chamfered down their length and cap...
Rush, Oak
$17,118 / set
H 36.23 in W 31.5 in D 34.26 in
Guillerme & Chambron pair of " Romeo & Juliet " armchairs, France circa 1960s
By Guillerme et Chambron
Located in leucate, FR
Exceptional pair of armchairs created by French designer Robert Guillerme & Jacques Chambron. “ Votre Maison, Your Home ” edition. “Romeo & Juliet” Model or “ Rest & Sma...
Fabric, Oak
$25,000 / set
H 33 in W 21 in D 21 in
Mid-Century Sycamore Armchairs by André Arbus, Leather Seats, 1940s
By André Arbus
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of French mid-century (1940s) sycamore armchairs with scroll legs and beige leather seats and backs. (attributed to André Arbus) (priced as pair).
Leather, Wood, Sycamore
Set of Six Chairs by André Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in PARIS, FR
A set of six chairs by the Lyonnais designer André Sornay, made with rosewood veneer.
Rosewood
$5,744 / set
H 29.93 in W 21.86 in D 22.84 in
Pair of French modernist Mahogany armchairs dating to the 1950s.
Located in Antwerp, BE
A striking pair of French modernist armchairs dating to the 1950s, distinguished by their architectural construction and beautifully aged wooden surfaces. The chairs are built around...
Mahogany
$4,365 / set
H 33.47 in W 22.84 in D 24.41 in
Mid-Century Modern French Riviera Cane Bamboo Armchairs, 1960s
Located in Paris, IDF
This pair of bamboo armchairs from the Mid-Century Modern French Riviera period is bursting with nostalgia. A light golden bamboo structure, cane seat, and the original printed cushi...
Bamboo, Cane
Pair of French Oak Armchairs, France, 1950s
Located in ŁÓDŹ, PL
This refined pair of French armchairs from the 1950s showcases the understated elegance of mid-century design. Crafted from solid oak, the chairs feature beautifully sculpted armrest...
Straw, Oak
$2,240
H 30.32 in W 82.68 in D 38.19 in
Mahogany Bed by André Sornay, Mid-Century Modern, France, Circa 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
Mahogany bed designed by André Sornay around 1960, produced using the patented Tigette assembly system that characterizes the Lyon workshop's production during the mid twentieth cen...
Wood
$13,800 / set
H 32.75 in W 23 in D 29 in
Malatesta and Mason Pair of Sculptural Armchairs in Ivory Bouclé, Italy, 1950s
By Malatesta and Mason
Located in New York, NY
Malatesta and Mason pair of sculptural armchairs consisting of ivory bouclé upholstered curved high backs and seats and figural wood arms and legs. These organically sinuous armchair...
Oak, Bouclé
French Reconstruction Armchair, 1940s
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
One of a kind French Reconstruction Armchair, 1940, post-war modernist design. Structure in solid oak. Condition report : the chair show si...
Cane, Mahogany
Unavailable|$16,000 / set
H 29.14 in W 33.47 in D 35.44 in
Club Armchairs in the Style of André Sornay, France, 1940s, Set of 2
By Andre Sornay
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Club armchairs in the style of André Sornay, France, 1940s, set of two. This pair of club armchairs presents the assertive geometry associated with French Art Deco seating of the 19...
Fabric, Mahogany
$54,859 / set
H 23.63 in W 29.53 in D 33.08 in
Maison Dominique - André Domin Marcel Genevrière - Pair Of Armchairs Circa 1940
By Andre Domin & Marcel Genevriere for Maison Dominique
Located in Hasselt, VLI
Very rare set of armchairs by Maison Dominque - We've always been fascinated by Art Deco artists like Jean-Michel Frank and Paul Dupré Lafon. Their interior designs, their use of ma...
Mohair, Straw, Wood
$17,000 / set
H 33 in W 18 in D 18 in
Jansen Set of Four Brass and Iron Armchairs in White Bouclé, France 1950's
By Maison Jansen
Located in New York, NY
Elegant set of Jansen wrought iron chairs with X-shaped backrests, legs ending in brass sabots, upholstered in white bouclé.
Brass, Wrought Iron
Pair of French Modernist Teak Armchairs, 1960s
Located in Antwerp, Antwerp
A pair of French modernist armchairs produced in the 1960s, executed in warm teak. The design is defined by a strict, clear frame built from straight, square-section elements, with a...
Fabric, Teak
Pair of Armchairs by André Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in Dallas, TX
A pair of André Sornay armchairs with brass nail details and leather upholstery.
Oak
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...
Upholstery, 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...
Beech
Redwood Armchair by Andre Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in Long Island City, NY
Armchair by Andre Sornay newly reupholstered in striped cotton fabric with a redwood structure. Impressed mark "Brevete France Sornay Etranger" with brass inlay on the underside of c...
Cotton, Wood
Sold
H 34.26 in W 25.01 in D 29.14 in
André Sornay Art Deco Armchair in Walnut and Dotted Jacquard, France, Late 1920s
By Andre Sornay
Located in The Hague, NL
This rare armchair was designed by André Sornay and produced in his own workshop in Lyon, France in the late 1920s. The solid walnut frame with its curved armrests and striking front...
Fabric, Cotton, Jacquard, Linen, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
4 Fine French Art Deco Armchairs by Andre Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in Long Island City, NY
Four fine French Art Deco armchairs by Andre Sornay in blackened mahogany and upholstered with red faux leather.
Faux Leather, Mahogany
Set of Armchairs by Andre Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in San Francisco, CA
Andre Sornay armchairs. A rare and collectible group of 4 armchairs in lacquered mahogany with brass nail trim and copper detail around perimet...
Suede, Mahogany
Sold
H 37.41 in W 24.02 in D 21.26 in
20th Century Rosewood Art Deco Pair of André Sornay Armchair, 1930s
By Andre Sornay
Located in LEGNY, FR
Pair of Art Deco rosewood armchairs by designer and decorator André Sornay (1902-2000). These armchairs whose structure is rosewood are upholstered with Bisson-Bruneel fabric "Grand ...
Fabric, Rosewood
Sold
H 34.26 in W 25.01 in D 27.96 in
André Sornay Pair of Art Deco Armchairs in Walnut, France, Late 1920s
By Rubelli, Andre Sornay
Located in The Hague, NL
This rare pair of armchairs was designed by André Sornay and produced in his own workshop in Lyon, France in the late 1920s. The solid walnut frame with its curved armrests and strik...
Fabric, Chenille, Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany, Walnut
Sold
H 29.14 in W 23.63 in D 25.2 in
Andray Sornay Armchairs in Mahogany with Beige Fabric, 1950, Set of 2
By Andre Sornay
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Set of 2 armchairs produced by the famous French cabinetmaker Andre Sornay in1960. "Tigette system" patented by Sornay company and originally reason of his success. Mahogany structur...
Mahogany
French Art Deco Armchairs by Andre Sornay, Set of Four
By Andre Sornay
Located in Miami, FL
A set of four French Art Deco armchairs designed and made by Andre Sornay (1902-2000) in Lyon, France. Constructed of solid mahogany with the arms connected to the front and rear leg...
Chrome
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 us...
Mahogany, Upholstery
Early Pair of Tubular Metal Chairs by Andre Sornay, ca. 1929
By Andre Sornay
Located in New York, NY
ANDRE SORNAY (1902-2000). Pair of chrome-plated tubular metal armchairs France, circa 1929. Ref: Thierry Roche, p. 79. Dimensions: 18.5 W x 21...
Chrome, Metal
Pair of Wooden Armchairs with Rush Seats by Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in New York City, NY
Pair of beautiful Oak framed chairs with Rush Back rests and seats.
Oak, Rush
Pair of Armchairs by André Sornay, France, circa 1940
By Andre Sornay
Located in Girona, Spain
Pair of armchairs by André Sornay Oak structure with original spring seat Recently upholsterd with brown velvet fabric, circa 1940, France. Important French furniture designer. ...
Upholstery, Oak