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 André Sornay sideboard in Oregon pine and studded 40s art deco modernist
By Andre Sornay
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
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...
Brass
André SORNAY (1902-2000), varnished plywood chest of drawers
By Andre Sornay
Located in Paris, FR
André Sornay (1902-2000) was a French furniture designer who transformed his family's business after taking over in 1919. Influenced by Bauhaus and De Stijl, he created modern, funct...
Brass
1930's French Wooden Buffet by André Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in Paris, FR
An elegant collectible buffet from the 1930s, designed by french designer André Sornay, crafted with meticulous attention to quality, featuring a sturdy wooden frame, complemented by...
Marble, Brass
$11,700
H 35.44 in W 70.87 in D 18.31 in
André Sornay Rare Sideboard with Double-Sliding Doors in Blue and Black
Located in Waalwijk, NL
André Sornay, sideboard, teak, lacquered wood, France, 1950s/1960s This rare cabinet is exemplary of his later work and showcases his innovative use of the patented tigette system: ...
Wood, Teak
Industrial Metal Cabinet, Commode, Chest of Drawers, 2000s
Located in Praha, CZ
made in 2000s In good original condition Hard Construction Made from Metal.
Metal
Magnificent Restored Bullnose Nine-Drawer Chest in Bamboo
Located in Atlanta, GA
This magnificent chest is shipped as professionally photographed and described in the listing narrative: Meticulously professionally restored and completely Installation Ready. An absolutely jaw-dropping custom commissioned vintage nine-drawer chest...
Hardwood, Bamboo
French Brutalist Art Deco Oak Buffet Sideboard 1930s-1940s
By Gaston Poisson, Charles Dudouyt
Located in London, London
This sideboard is a remarkable example of the merging of Brutalist and Art Deco styles from the 1930s to 1940s. Constructed from solid oak, the piece features a robust and earthy aes...
Oak
$55,000
H 31.75 in W 63.5 in D 20 in
French Mid-Century Modern "Croissilon" Sideboard / Credenza Attr. to Andre Arbus
By André Arbus
Located in New York, NY
A Rare and Elegant French Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical sideboard, credenza or cabinet circa 1940-1950 attributed to Andre Arbus. The sideboard is a masterpiece of form and materials. It combines modern simplicity and purity with neoclassical cross...
Rattan, Cherry
Antique French, Louis XVI Chest of Drawers Commode Buffet Bar
Located in Senonches, Centre-Val de Loire
Antique French Louis XVI style bar buffet topped with a white Carrara marble, fluted legs finished with golden bronze clogs. One dovetailed drawer, two doors and a practical storage ...
Carrara Marble
$3,676Sale Price|20% Off
H 42.9 in W 51.3 in D 23.6 in
19th Century French Wooden Buffet, Elegant Storage, Classic Design
Located in High Point, NC
This 19th Century French wooden buffet is a handsome example of traditional craftsmanship, offering both storage and elegance. Made from richly toned wood with a warm patina, the pie...
Wood
Art Deco Style French Sideboard with Brass Details, C 1960
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
A striking mid-century French sideboard featuring a bold structural design with refined geometric detailing. This elegant piece combines functional storage with sophisticated aesthet...
Oak
Andre Sornay cabinet, 1960
By Andre Sornay
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
Storage unit by Andre Sornay in the sixties Rare model Beech structure and melamine panels 3 doors and 3 drawers Some traces of time on the top and some lack of wood on the door Nice...
Beech
$14,306
H 46.86 in W 66.93 in D 17.33 in
French Modernist Sideboard by André Sornay, Cloutage Technique, 1950s
By Andre Sornay
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
A refined French modernist sideboard designed by Andre Sornay in Lyon, France, circa 1950s. Crafted using Sornay’s signature cloutage technique, the cabinet reveals delicate nail-he...
Wood
$8,464
H 46.07 in W 78.55 in D 24.02 in
Jean-Charles Moreux - Spirit - Buffet - Oak - 1930 - France - Art Deco
By Guillerme et Chambron
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
A quiet theatre unfolds across the façade of this monumental oak buffet—each door panel rendered in high-relief narrative, depicting scenes of village life with lyrical intensity. Wo...
Oak
Stunning Edward Wormely Chest/Buffet/Credenza in Black Lacquer
By Edward Wormley
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Beautiful multi-purpose case piece by Edward Wormley for Drexel, circa 1947. Wonderful design allows for use as a chest, buffet or credenza. Restored in black lacquer to provide co...
Brass
1940s Sideboard by André Sornay in Solid Wood and Copper
By Andre Sornay
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Sideboard, sideboard from the 40's by the Lyon designer André Sornay. Structure in solid veneered mahogany with a black marble top and copper handles. The sideboard is composed of tw...
Marble, Copper
A Buffet by Andre Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in Albany, NY
A rectangular oak buffet on a recessed base. The 'cloutage' or nail inlays are in copper, not the more common brass. The interior has four drawers and two removable shelves. Sorna...
Oak