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.
$9,800 / set
Leleu Art Deco Decorative Chairs
By Jules Leleu
Located in Bridgewater, CT
Pair of French Art Deco chairs, covered in shark skin with ivory like accents. Measures: Width 25", total height 23", seat height 18", depth 12".
Shagreen
6 Fine French 1940s Mahogany Dining Chairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu (1883-1961) - Six fine French Art Deco brown mahogany dining side chairs with bronze sabots. Documented Price is per chair and does not include re-upholstery (one of the...
Mahogany
Pair of Fine French Art Deco Mahogany Armchairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
A Pair of fine French Art Deco mahogany bridge armchairs by Jules Leleu. Price includes re-upholstery with customer's own material.
Mahogany
Pair of Fine French Art Deco Mahogany Armchairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu (1883-1961) - A Pair of fine French Art Deco mahogany bridge armchairs with bronze sabots. Bibliography: Françoise Siriex. Leleu Decorateur ensembliers: Editions Monelle...
Mahogany, Upholstery
Armchair by Jean Prouvé & Jules Leleu, France, circa 1936
By Jules Leleu, Jean Prouvé
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
A rare collaboration between Jean Prouvé and Jules Leleu, this armchair embodies the meeting of two worlds: Prouvé’s rational, structural approach and Leleu’s refined Art Deco sensib...
Metal
$16,800 / set
Set of Six Ocean Liner Armchairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Bridgewater, CT
Jules Leleu (1883-1961). Set of six beechwood armchairs, "fauteuils de paquebot", with coiled armrest supports, reupholstered with dark green leather, standing on four slightly arch...
Leather, Beech
$5,200Sale Price / item|20% Off
Art Deco Chairs by Jules Leleu, Walnut & Chenille, 1920s
By Jules Leleu
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Set of 8 chairs designed by Jules Leleu (1883-1961). Walnut wood with inlay and chenille upholstery. Francoise Sirex (2008) "The House of Leleu: Classic French Style for a Modern Wo...
Chenille, Walnut
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
Six Original Art Deco Chairs, by Jules Leleu for Stella, Polish, France, 1940s
By Stella, Jules Leleu
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Maker: Stella This set of six chairs is a superb example of late French Art Deco from the 1940s. They were designed by one of the most celebrated decorators and architects of the er...
Wood, Beech, Lacquer, Leather, Upholstery
$11,429 / set
Chairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in PARIS, FR
Pair of chairs by Jules Leleu, bronze structure, silk upholstery. Excellent Condition.
Bronze
Pair of Fine French Art Deco Mahogany Chairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu- A pair of fine French 1940s mahogany chairs with intertwining curved wood backs Numbered: 21956 & 21957 For an illustration of a similar armchair, see Siriex, Francoise. The House of Leleu. New York: Hudson Hills...
Mahogany
$3,849Sale Price / set|20% Off
Jules Leleu Vintage Chairs in Wood and Green Leather
By Jules Leleu
Located in Milano, IT
Wonderful set consisting of four wooden chairs designed in the 1930s by Jules Leleu, French manufacture. The chairs have very eccentric shapes, both hard geometric and soft and comfo...
Leather, Wood
Jules Leleu, Set of Three Art Deco Mahogany Side Chairs, France, C. 1930
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Set of three side chairs by Jules Leleu in mahogany with gilt bronze sabots For an illustration of identical armchairs, see: Ensembles Mobiliers....
Bronze
Three Green Upholstered Side Chairs from the collection of Thierry Despont
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
This set of three dining chairs embodies Leleu's understated elegance of this time period. The gently curved legs are finished in bronze sabots and the chair rail betrays a subtly un...
Upholstery, Wood
Jules Leleu, Set of Four Art Deco Dining Chairs, France, circa 1947
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
These beautiful dining chairs rest on solid interconnected bases and possess charming, crisscrossing backs. For illustrations of this identical model, see: Ensembles Mobiliers. Vol...
Mahogany
Jules Leleu, Pair of Oak Armchairs, France, circa 1948
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
This pair of cabriolet armchairs are constructed with oak frames with an upholstered seat and back, its elegant curves contrasting with its sharp lines. The angled armrests finish in...
Upholstery, Oak
Sold|$1,580 / set
H 38 in W 22 in D 18 in
Set of 6 French Art Deco Jules Leleu style Flared Leg Medium Toned Dining Chairs
By Jules Leleu
Located in Opa Locka, FL
Set of 6 French Art Deco Medium Brown Tone Flared Leg Dining Chairs style Jules Leleu. very elegant dining chairs! We recommend reupholstery on all vintage/ antique furniture. Frames...
Wood
Set of Four French Art Deco Armchairs after Jules Leleu
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Extraordinary set of four French art deco chairs crafted from radiant mahogany after Jules Leleu. The chairs feature a large flared back with a contoured rest that is upholstered wit...
Brass
$3,368 / set
H 29.93 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
1920s Art Deco Side Chairs in Walnut, Original Sitting with Abstract Upholstery
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Mid-20th century Art Deco side chairs in walnut, with original sitting and futurism abstract upholstery. Very special and aesthetic effect. Excellent conditions, restored and wax-po...
Walnut, Fabric
Set of 8 Dining Chairs in Walnut and Brass, 1940s
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Set of 8 Dining Chairs in Walnut and Brass, 1940s Additional Information: Material: Walnut, original leather with brass rivets Style: midcentury, Scandinavian Produced in Swede...
Brass
$4,900 / set
H 36.23 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
Charles Dudouyt - Spirit - Chairs - Set of 6 - 1940s - France - Brutalist
By Charles Dudouyt
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
This set of six French Art Deco dining chairs in solid oak was created in the 1940s with a Charles Dudouyt inspiration. We can clearly see the work of the French school...
Oak
$1,985 / set
H 33.08 in W 24.02 in D 25.2 in
Set of Two Restored Art Deco Armchairs, by Jules Leleu, Beech, France, 1930s
By Jules Leleu
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Designer: Jules Leleu Source: France Period: 1930-1939 It has been re-polished with polyutherane piano lacquer by our professional refurbishing team in Czechia according to the orig...
Wood, Fabric, Upholstery, Beech, Lacquer
Set of 6 Art Deco Dining Chairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Lyndhurst, NJ
An exceptional set of six mahogany dining chairs, comprising four side chairs and two armchairs. Each with a serpentine outlined back. The arms being out swept, all having upholstere...
Bronze
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
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
$2,400
H 37.5 in W 18.5 in D 21.5 in
Art Deco Machine Age Skyscraper Style Black Lacquer & Holly Hunt Fabric Chair
Located in New York, NY
This stunning and graphic Art Deco Machine Age side/ desk chair was realized in the United States circa 1935. It features streamlined side; subtly bowed hind legs and tapered front l...
Fabric, Lacquer
Art Deco Chair by Maurice Dufrene, 1925
By Maurice Dufrêne
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Art Deco chair designed by the French designer Maurice Dufrene for the 1925 Paris Exposition International of Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. Made of oak and leather. D...
Leather, Wood
$18,500
H 35 in W 34 in D 34 in
Jules Leleu, Yellow Upholstered Mahogany Art Deco Armchair, France, circa 1926
By Jules Leleu, Maison 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
Fine French 1950s Desk Chair by Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu - A fine French Mid-Century wooden desk chair with brass sabots on front legs and an extra cushion. Bibliography: Françoise Siriex «Leleu Décorateurs Ensembliers», Monel...
Fabric, Wood
Fine French Art Deco Mahogany Chair by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu (1883 - 1961) A fine French Art Deco solid mahogany chair with gilded bronze sabots on front legs.
Mahogany
Set of Chairs Designed by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Set of 12 chairs designed by Jules Leleu (1883-1961). Walnut wood with inlay and chenille upholstery. Francoise Sirex (2008) "The House of Leleu: Classic French Style for a Modern W...
Chenille, Walnut
Sold
H 36.63 in W 18.5 in D 17.75 in
Set of 8 Fine French Art Deco Mahogany Dining Chairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu (1883-1961) - A set of 8 fine French Art Deco mahogany dining chairs (6 side and 2 arm). Documented Armchair dimensions: H 35 5/8" W 22" D 35 3/4" A round extendable r...
Mahogany
Art Deco Club Chair by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Miami, FL
A club chair by Jules Leleu made out of a solid mahogany frame and upholstered in velvet. Made in France. circa: 1935. Reference: House of Leleu by Francoise Siriex, Page 73.
Velvet, Mahogany
Sold
H 31.11 in W 18.51 in D 22.05 in
Pair of Fine French Art Deco Mahogany Side Chairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of fine French Art Deco mahogany side chairs by Jules Leleu. Stamped.
Mahogany
Jules Leleu, Art Deco Side Chair, France, 1925
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
A lacquered walnut side chair designed by Jules Leleu with an elegant, tall back covered in a round upholstered cushion, and beautifully carved, tapered legs.
Walnut
Leleu-Deshaye Leather and Chrome Armchairs, France 1965
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Leleu-Deshaye leather and chromed steel, original leather and chrome. Measures: Arm height 24 1/2".
Leather
Jules Leleu Chair
By Jules Leleu
Located in Antwerp, BE
Art Deco armchair by Jules Leleu, France, 1940s In mahogany with gilt bronze sabots with the original silk buttoned upholstery, very much 'dans son jus' We can reupholster this ...
Brass
Leleu Art Deco Decorative Chairs
By Jules Leleu
Located in Bridgewater, CT
Pair of French Art Deco chairs, covered in shark skin with ivory like accents. Measures: Width 25", total height 23", seat height 18", depth 12".
Shagreen
Set of 8 Fine French Art Deco Dining Chairs by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
A set of 8 fine French Art Deco mahogany dining chairs (6 side and 2 arm) by Jules Leleu. Price includes refinishing. Documented: see pictures. Armchair dimensions: H 35 5/8" W 22" ...
Mahogany
Jules Leleu, Art Deco Mahogany Armchair, France, circa 1936
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
1930s armchair by Art Deco master Jules Leleu. Numbered on right back leg 15560.
Bronze