A designer and ensemblier, Jules Leleu was one of the key authors of the Art Deco movement. While he did not win the fame of such contemporaries as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank, Leleu had a longer career and was easily their peer in the conception of trim, refined furniture forms and in the use of the opulent materials — from lacquer and ivory to sharkskin and exotic woods — that were a keynote of haute Art Deco design.
Leleu was born into a family of artisans and decorators. Their firm, Maison Leleu, had existed since the 18th century and Jules would guide it through much of the 20th. (The business lasted until 1973, headed at the end by Jules's children.) He studied architecture, served as an aviator in World War I, and after the conflict took up design full-time.
Leleu presented work at the 1925 exposition in Paris that gave us the term Art Deco, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York purchased a burl amboyna wood commode by Leleu directly from the show.
As the desks, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs show, Leleu was a stickler for precision craft and preferred to let his materials do the talking — his furniture is generally spare and sleek; its presence is established by figuring (or patterning/graining) in the wood and the occasional marquetry medallion. He had a keen eye for currents in design and an adaptable sensibility.
Maison Leleu would embrace many of the starker forms of modernism after the 1940s, as well as new materials such as artificial lacquer and plastics (then considered cutting-edge rather than cheap). Jules Leleu is a guiding light of 20th-century modernism: a man whose work represents both a devotion to traditional handiwork and an appreciation for the next wave in design.
Find Jules Leleu tables, sideboards, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
French Art Deco Ebonized Bench By Jules Leleu
By André Arbus, Jules Leleu, Maison Jansen, Jacques Adnet, Dominique
Located in Houston, TX
French Art Deco Ebonized Bench By Jules Leleu. This stunning French Art Deco ebonized bench or ottoman designed by Jules Leleu has beautifully curved legs and is professionally uphol...
Velvet, Wood
Jules Leleu, Art Deco Bench with Fluted Mahogany Frame, France, circa 1925
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Please note that the fluted carving seen on our bench is an element of the design vocabulary used by Jules Leleu in the mid-1920s, as seen on the chair featured on the dust jacket of the French edition of the book "House of Leleu." This is possibly a grand piano bench and was purchased several decades ago from the Calderwood Gallery...
Upholstery, Mahogany
French Art Deco Bench
By André Arbus, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Francisque Chaleyssin, Dominique, Jules Leleu
Located in Houston, TX
French Art Deco Bench. This lovely period French Art Deco walnut bench dates to the 1930's with a U shaped design that has been newly upholstered in a beautiful cut velvet fabric tha...
Velvet, Walnut
Fine French Art Deco Mahogany Armchair by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu: A fine French Art Deco mahogany bridge armchair with bronze sabots.
Fabric, Mahogany
$3,906
H 24.81 in W 22.25 in D 13 in
Antique Jas Shoolbred Hall Bench with Brass Mounts & Walnut Frame circa 1890
By Jas Schoolbred
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely original circa 1890 Jas Shoolbred of Tottenham Court Road circa 1890 walnut & brass hall bench A very good looking, highly collectab...
Brass
$9,800 / set
H 31.89 in W 24.81 in D 26.38 in
A Pair of Fine French Art Deco Walnut Armchairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of fine French Art Deco upholstered walnut armchairs by Jules Leleu.
Leather, Walnut
$1,558 / set
H 40.56 in W 18.51 in D 20.87 in
Pair of Original Art Deco Chairs, by Jules Leleu, Beech, France, 1920s
By Jules Leleu
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Designed by Jules Leleu, a French designer at the top of French 20th Century decoration who distinguished himself during the Art Deco style's renaissance. This item features classic...
Fabric, Wood, Leather, Beech, Lacquer
$18,500
H 35 in W 34 in D 34 in
Jules Leleu, Yellow Upholstered Mahogany Art Deco Armchair, France, circa 1926
By Maison Leleu, Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
This plush armchair is an early creation of Art Deco icon Jules Leleu, and features a mahogany frame, rounded sabots, and spiraled arms. Numbered on ...
Mahogany
$719
H 31.89 in W 23.63 in D 18.51 in
Restored Art Deco Armchair, by Jules Leleu, Beech, Revived Polish, France, 1930s
By Jules Leleu
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This elegant Art Deco armchair originates from France from the 1930s and is attributed to the influential designer Jules Leleu. It embodies the French sophistication and charm of the...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Beech, Lacquer
Jules Leleu, Pair of Art Deco Side Chairs, France, 1925
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
The house of Leleu rose to prominence in the 1920s during the Art Deco period, and became known for the ornate classicism of its richly refined furniture...
Macassar
$3,800
H 17.5 in W 50 in D 19 in
Tri-Mark Designs Bench with Chrome Frame & Ivory Bouclé Upholstery c. 1970s
By Tri-Mark
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Sexy sleek chrome bench by Tri-Mark Designs newly reupholstered in soft highly durable ivory bouclé. Ivory bouclé is breathable and keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter. Strong bookend style chrome legs support a soft and comfortable upholstered seat. Clean lines. High art look. A good choice for a sleek art filled entry or passage way, or in a large walk in closet...
Metal, Chrome
Pair of Fine French Art Deco Armchairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of fine French Art Deco stained beech "bridge" armchairs by Jules Leleu.
Fabric, Beech
$5,520Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 37.5 in W 19 in D 23 in
French Art Deco Set of 6 Dining Chairs Jules Leleu Style
By Jules Leleu
Located in Miami, FL
French Art Deco Set of 6 Dining Chairs Jules Leleu Style, Set of 6 French Art Deco Dining Chairs Jules Leleu Style, Dining Chairs with Beige Upholstered Seats Channel the timeless ...
Fabric, Rosewood
Jules Leleu, Art Deco Armchair, France, circa 1940
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
With rounded and scrolled detail on the armrest, this Jules Leleu Art Deco armchair is the picture of elegance and comfort. Bibliography: For an illustration of a similar model, se...
Velvet, Oak