Armchair in Oak and Leather by René Gabriel, Norma, 1935

Yellow Modern Armchair in oak and faux leather by René Gabriel, Norma, 1938 Bridge Armchair in stained oak with curved backs and three bars, seats in crossed yellow faux leather strips. This model was presented at the 1938 Salon des Arts Ménagers...

Oak buffet with 2 Doors and 3 Drawers by René Gabriel, 1940s René Gabriel (1899 - 1950) is a precursor of French industrial design. He was one of the first to create, as early as the 1930s, economical mass-produced furniture combining aestheticism, robustness and sobriety, a source of inspiration for a whole generation of future designers. A student at the Germain Pilon School and then at the National School of Decorative Arts, René Gabriel began as a domino maker by designing and producing his own wallpapers, and then made his mark as a decorative artist in most of the salons and international exhibitions of the inter-war period. In 1927, he began his research into the creation of mass-produced furniture and proposed a piece of furniture composed of juxtaposable and superposable elements. He studied an economical version that he presented in 1934 at the Salon des arts ménagers under the name of RG elements. Another major turning point came in 1944, when the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urban Planning commissioned him to create emergency furniture. A fervent advocate of furniture for all, René Gabriel designed numerous models for disaster victims by establishing close ties with industry. He also collaborated with Auguste Perret...

pair of armchairs in the style of René Gabriel in beech

An iconic, beech framed armchair by René Gabriel (1890-1950). The spung base with new seat and back cushions, upholstered in ‘Hemp’ by Camira - a green-hued, grey woven fabric with c...