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.
Rare Modernist Stool by Andre Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cowhide upholstered stool by Andre Sornay. Made in France circa 1930s. Literature: Thierry Roche, André Sornay 1902-2000, Paris, 2002
Metal
Vintage Italian Modernist Stool
Located in Austin, TX
Italian vintage bench with flaring black lacquered legs and solid brass-capped feet. We love its unique and quirky “bean-like” shape; and its quintessential Italian mid-century vibe....
Brass, Steel
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
Rare Japanese Stool by Soetsu Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Uccle, BE
This stool was made in 1936 for the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum. Made of Japanese cherry wood and seagrass. Today, you can still see the original benches made for this museum. Yanagi Soetsu (1889 – 1961), also known as Yanagi Muneyoshi, was a Japanese art critic, philosopher, and founder of the Mingei (folk craft) movement in Japan in the late 1920s and 1930s. His son, Sori Yanagi, was a renowned industrial designer. In 1916, Yanagi made his first trip to Korea out of curiosity about Korean crafts. The trip led to the establishment of the Korean Folk Crafts Museum in 1924 and the coining of the term mingei by Yanagi, potters Hamada Shoji (1894–1978) and Kawai Kanjiro...
Seagrass, Cherry
$16,400
H 25.4 in W 25.99 in D 25.6 in
Rare André Sornay Curved Armchair in Mahogany and Warm Beige Suede
By Andre Sornay
Located in Waalwijk, NL
André Sornay, armchair, mahogany, suede, France, circa 1930 This rare armchair by André Sornay exemplifies his architectural approach to furniture design, created during the height ...
Suede, Mahogany
Modernist French Bar Stools
Located in Austin, TX
Bar stools from France in the Modernist style. We love the strong construction of the steel bases and black lacquered feet. Each features a foot rest and has been newly reupholstered...
Steel
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...
Fabric, Foam, Mahogany
Mid-Century Modern Chair by André Sornay, Solid Mahogany, 1955
By Andre Sornay
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
A chair designed by André Sornay, a renowned cabinetmaker from Lyon, showcasing the designer's ingenuity as a pioneer of kit furniture in the late 1950s. These elegant chair featur...
Wood
Slipper Chair in the Style of André Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in Glendale, CA
Slipper chair in the style of André Sornay. Handcrafted in Los Angeles in the workshop of noted French designer and antiques dealer Denis de le Mesiere, who pays homage to the work...
Brass
Modernist Stool by H. Wouda, 1924
By H.Pander & Zonen, Hendrik Wouda
Located in Antwerp, BE
Modernist yellow stool, Hendrik Wouda, H. Pander & Zonen, Netherlands, 1924. Painted pine, silk. The Interbellum, the period between the two World Wars, was a time when culture...
Belgian Black Marble
Italian Modernist Stools
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of stools, Italian, in the modernist style. This pair has been newly handcrafted in a “bouclé” wool blend. We love the minimal, inviting design of this pair.
Upholstery
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
$1,054
H 27.96 in W 22.05 in D 20.87 in
Mid-Century Modern Armchair by André Sornay, Wood, France, Circa 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
Simplicity and elegance for these armchairs by the Lyon cabinetmaker and designer André Sornay. Solid pine uprights assemble by threaded rods, a system patented by Sornay himself, c...
Wood
Set of Four Stools by Andre Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in New York, NY
Andre Sornay (1902-2000) Set of four modernist mahogany three legged stools. France, 1930's
Mahogany
Andre Sornay Stool
By Andre Sornay
Located in New York, NY
ANDRE SORNAY (1902-2000) Stool in tubular metal with wood pull handle France, 1930's 17 W x 23 D x 19 H Reupholstered.
Wood