André Sornay Olive Green and Teak Cabinet
View Similar Items
André Sornay Olive Green and Teak Cabinet
About the Item
- Creator:Andre Sornay (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 50.4 in (128 cm)Width: 49.22 in (125 cm)Depth: 14.77 in (37.5 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Waalwijk, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU93318152203
Andre Sornay
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.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
- André Sornay Highboard in Mahogany and AshBy Andre SornayLocated in Waalwijk, NLAndré Sornay for Atelier Sornay, wardrobe or armoire, ash, mahogany, France, 1950s Iconic midcentury wardrobe by French designer André Sornay. With its geometric design and the com...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsAsh, Mahogany
- Danish Cabinet in TeakLocated in Waalwijk, NLCabinet, teak, beech, Denmark, late 1940s. Excellent Danish cabinet executed in beautiful teak that shows a dynamic grain pattern. An open exterior is realised with the ‘cabinet-on...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBeech, Teak
$3,850 - Franco Albini for Poggi Cabinets in TeakBy Franco Albini, PoggiLocated in Waalwijk, NLFranco Albini for Poggi, cabinets, model MB51, teak, Italy, circa 1957. Well-designed pair of cabinets by Franco Albini for Poggi, which features a simplistic design with sharp lin...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsTeak
$5,500 / item - Danish Cabinets with Tambour Doors in TeakLocated in Waalwijk, NLCabinet, teak, birch, felt, Denmark, 1950s This sideboard is exemplary for refined, highly detailed and very well-made furniture. The front corpus is furnished with tambour door pan...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsFelt, Birch, Teak
- Hvidt & Mølgaard Nielsen for Søborg Møbelfabrik Cabinets in TeakBy Hvidt & MølgaardLocated in Waalwijk, NLPeter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for Søborg Møbelfabrik, cabinet, teak, Denmark, 1950s. Unique formation of conforming cabinets executed in solid teak designed by the Danish desi...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsTeak
- Hvidt & Mølgaard Nielsen for Søborg Møbelfabrik Cabinet in TeakBy Hvidt & MølgaardLocated in Waalwijk, NLPeter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for Søborg Møbelfabrik, cabinet, teak, Denmark, 1950s. This cabinet executed in solid teak is a design by the Danish designers Peter Hvidt and Or...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsTeak
- Art Deco Cabinet by Andre SornayBy Andre SornayLocated in Bridgewater, CTA French Art Deco cabinet by Andre Sornay (1902-2000,) circa 1920-1925, in ebony Macassar and oak, with walnut root marquetry.Category
20th Century French Art Deco Cabinets
MaterialsEbony, Macassar
- Andre Sornay Room Divider Cabinet, France, 1955By Andre SornayLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantStunning minimalistic room divider wardrobe designed by cabinet maker Andre Sornay, France 1955. This rare room divider cabinet was designed with his 'tigette system' which was basic...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWood, Teak
$10,986 / item - André Sornay Mid-Century Modern French Cabinet, circa 1950By Andre SornayLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaCabinet designed by André Sornay. Manufactured in France in 1950s. In original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. The metal ba...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWood
$6,592 Sale Price20% Off - 40's Cabinet by French Designer Andre Sornay Mahogany and Copper Art DecoBy Andre SornayLocated in Lyon, FR1940s cabinet by French designer André Sornay. The structure is made of solid mahogany and veneered wood, highlighted by a system of brass nails perfectly aligned around the edges of...Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Cabinets
MaterialsBrass, Copper
- Sornay Bar CabinetBy Andre SornayLocated in Brooklyn, NYOriginal Sornay bar cabinet.Category
Vintage 1950s French Cabinets
MaterialsMetal
$5,500 - Rare André Sornay French Wardrobes Armoires Art Deco Modernist 40s - F613By Andre SornayLocated in Lyon, FRArmoire, bookcase from the 50's by the french designer André Sornay. Structure in solid mahogany and veneer highlighted by a system of brass nails perfectly aligned around the furniture (see photos). The large sliding door opens on a series of solid wood shelves...Category
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass, Copper
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Morentz Writes the Next Chapter for Furniture with a Storied Past
Dutch dealer Matthijs Hoveijn specializes in the best of mid-century modern design, selling it to discerning clients around the world.