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.
French Art Deco / Early Modern Cerused Oak Console by Andre Sornay, circa 1930
By Andre Sornay
Located in New York, NY
A French Art Deco sleek, narrow profile double level console by Andre Sornay, France, circa 1930 in a faint green cerused oak. This is a sober, elegant, French Modern statement. The ...
Oak
Console in Wood, French 1930, Style, Art Deco
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
Console France, 1920, Art Deco in wood
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
Console in Wood, France, 1920, Art Deco
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
Art Deco Console France, in Wood 1920
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
Console, France, 1925, Art Deco in Wood
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
Console in Wood, France, 1920, Art Deco
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
Custom Art Deco Inspired Modern Walnut Console Table
By Carrocel
Located in North York, ON
Custom Art Deco inspired modern walnut console table. This Art Deco style console table is absolutely gorgeous. With a large u-shaped base and pedestal. This console is a work of art...
Walnut
Console Style Art Deco 1930 French in Wood
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
"Free shipping in florida" It was exhibited at Palm beach "American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF)" Console Art Deco Year: 1930 Country: French Wood Finish: polyurethanic lacqu...
Wood
Console in wood, French 1930, Style: Art Deco
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
Console France, 1920, Art Deco in Wood
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
Console, France, 1920, Art Deco in Wood
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood
$24,000 / set
H 31.7 in W 9.65 in D 48.82 in
2 Elegant Consoles Style Art Deco in Wood and Polyurethanic Lacquer, French 1930
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Wood, Lacquer
Pair of Consoles by André Sornay
By Andre Sornay
Located in PARIS, FR
Pair of exquisite consoles by the Lyonnais designer André Sornay in mahogany topped in black glass.
Mahogany
André Sornay Postmodern Style Side Table
By Andre Sornay
Located in Antwerp, BE
Memphis group style occasional table in a special flamed burl wood veneer by Andre Sornay. Postmodern piece that could as well be influenced by his fellow designers Ettore Sottsass,...
Wood
Sold
H 34.75 in W 28.25 in D 6.5 in
French Early Modern Cerused Oak Console by Andre Sornay, circa 1930
By Andre Sornay
Located in New York, NY
A sleek, narrow profile double level console by Andre Sornay, France, circa 1930 in faint green cerused oak. A sober, Modern statement. The piece is ideal for small spaces such a...
André Sornay Console-Bookcase, circa 1930
By Andre Sornay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Beautiful console-bookcase in rosewood by André Sornay. Inlay of brass nails, circa 1930. Stamped. Restored. Certificate of authenticity from Thierry Roche, French expert for And...
Brass