A History of French Styles: Art Deco

Art Deco - 1920 to 1940

Stunning French Art Deco Center Table in Rosewood

The Art Deco style began in Paris in the 1920s and soon spread internationally, through architecture, interior design, fashion, film, and more. It is a simplification of the Art Nouveau style that came before it. Forms are sophisticated and feature strong geometric designs.

French Art Deco figured walnut buffet with French polish

Exotic woods such as rosewood, teak, and mahogany were used. Many materials were used for detail, such as veneers, lacquers and high French polish, plastic, Lucite and metal.

French Art Deco rosewood side table with clean lines and French polish

As a distinct break from the organic forms of Art Nouveau, the clean lines of Art Deco period furniture lends itself to integration with other, earlier styles - such as Louis Philippe or Louis XVI.

French Art Deco brass coffee table

Chairs of this period lean towards the Directoire or Restoration styles, with comfortable, deep seats, upholstered in fabrics or leather, sometimes entirely, as was often the case for the quintessential Art Deco piece - the Club Chair.

Superb French Art Deco leather club chairs

Tables are round, oval, or rectangular and many new table forms come into being such as the coffee table, tea table, and other small side tables.

French Art Deco coffee table

Click here to see examples of Art Deco style furniture in our inventory.

The French Club Chair - Legendary and Luxurious

In 1925, the Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes was a defining moment in the history of furniture design and art and the birthplace of what would later become the Art Deco style and period which extended through the 1940s.  The pure lines, geometric forms and right angles were an inspiration for sleek, modern furniture design and the créateurs of the time jumped on it.

Luxury, perfection, comfort
One particularly popular chair was born around 1929; simply called the “fauteuil confortable” or “comfortable armchair”, it was a French armchair introduced to the market by way of the French and English gentlemen’s clubs that were trendy at the time – a place where men could meet and get away from their homes (and wives) for awhile. Once there, a gentleman would sink into a well-upholstered, comfortable leather chair and relax with a drink and perhaps a cigar.  Over time, people started referring to this coveted chair simply as a “Club Chair”.

French Art Deco Club Chair with original leather, c. 1930

Roundish forms and “basané” lambskin leather were typical for club chairs fabricated in France and would prove to become a sort of trademark for French club chairs (as opposed to English club chairs).  A product of both the French and English by its history, this chair was timeless in its style – a classic that would be appreciated by all for generations.

French Art Deco Club Chair, c. 1940.

English Chesterfield Club Chair, c. 1930.

A time for relaxation…
The Club Chair was an essential part of 20th century luxury furniture, and its longevity, modernism and refinement are still very much admired today. Its round form was legendary but evolved with time into new forms such as the “moustache” form with lip like curves across the back or the “chapeau de gendarme” with its elegant arch-like curve.  The leather, the supple lines, the low seat and snug fit were seductive and indicative of absolute comfort. Men (and women) could sit in them for hours and never want to get up!

"Moustache" back French club chair, c. 1930.

French Club Chair with "Chapeau de Gendarme" back, c. 1930.

Today these chairs continue to work their magic, adding that touch of class and luxury to any living or sitting area. An authentic French club chair, with striking lines, perfect proportions and beautiful patina on original, full panels of leather can’t be matched by modern knock-offs and reproductions which are often over-sized and pieced together with smaller pieces of lower quality leather.

Beautiful round curves accent the armrest of a French Art Deco club chair.

Full panel leather on the back of a French Art Deco club chair.

Original tacks line the back of a French Art Deco club chair.

Club chairs simply exude character and luxury, they offer an instant sense of history to any room they inhabit. So go ahead, indulge, kick off your heels and take a load off…

Absolute luxury...

The Many Talents of André Arbus

by Lauren Stewart-Ebert

Cabinet by André Arbus, circa 1942.

André Leon Arbus was born near Toulouse, France on November 17, 1903. Emanating from a storied family of ébénistes, he continued the tradition of cabinet making in grand fashion, even broadening his area of expertise to architecture - home design, lighthouses and a remarkable ocean liner...

The Normandie

Arbus studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse. After graduating, he began working for his father's firm. Throughout the 1930's, he exhibited his work in Paris, Brussels and New York.

Cabinet by André Arbus, circa 1948, in painted wood with gilded bronze ornamentation.

A pair of ebonized armchairs with leather upholstery by André Arbus

Although Arbus ended the family tradition of producing 18th century style furniture, he incorporated many classic designs into his pieces, particularly those of the French Empire period. He rejected the tenets of the Union of Modern Artists (a popular and well known group of Art Nouveau and Art Deco artists) and continued to create pieces the "old fashioned" way, working with fine veneers, lacquers, parchment and bronze.

An Art Deco side table, circa 1945, by André Arbus draws from the French Directoire period.

A French Directoire period walnut side table, circa 1800.

A dining table by André Arbus, circa 1943, in rosewood veneer with lyre base.

Another Art Deco period dining table in rosewood veneer with lyre base.

During the 1940's, Arbus was regularly contracted by the French government to furnish department headquarters and to "rejuvenate" national palaces. When the Elysée Palace was reopened after World War II, he worked with Jules Leleu to renovate the first floor of the central building.


He was commissioned by Le Mobilier National to design a desk for the U.S. Ambassador, W.H. Harriman, and to decorate the post World War II Medici Room of the Chateau de Rambouillet.

The Chateau de Rambouillet.

Arbus later focused his attention on architecture and built several farmhouses throughout France. Between 1947 and 1951, he renovated a lighthouse (originally constructed in the late 1700's) on the Ilot du Planier, near Marseille.

The lighthouse at Ilot du Planier.

One of his most prominent works of this era was his contribution to the interiors of the S.S. Normandie, the largest, fastest and most luxurious ocean liner of the time.

The grand dining hall of The Normandie

One of the many lounges on The Normandie

Arbus spent the latter part of his life concentrating on bronze sculpture and passed away at the age of 66 in Paris. His talent inspired his contemporaries in France for years and his timeless styles continue to be reproduced by modern cabinet makers today.

A bronze table by André Arbus, circa 1949

The Château de Gourdon

by Lauren Stewart-Ebert

Located about thirty miles west of the French Mediterranean city of Nice is the small town of Gourdon. This medieval village is the home of the Château de Gourdon. Initially built as a fortress high on a rocky bluff during the Middle Ages, it has been transformed over the centuries into the spectacular castle (and museum) it is today.

Although the architecture dates to the 9th century, the interior holds a spectacular collection of Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces in what is now the "Musée des Arts Décoratifs et de la Modernité".

The first floor of the museum houses one-of-a-kind pieces, both prototypes and personal creations by artists such as Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, Alfons Mucha, and Louis Sue.

The "Tardieu Bed" was designed by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann for the French Prime Minister, André Tardieu.

An office setting with pieces by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann and Alfons Mucha.

The second floor of the castle is devoted to the Union of Modern Artists (U.A.M) and features the personal effects of Eileen Gray, Pierre Chareau, Francis Jourdain, and Jean Prouvé.

The personal bedroom of Eileen Gray, featuring her Bibendum chair and E-1027 side table.

A living space features a Jean Prouvé Cité armchair with ottoman.

A collection of armchairs designed by Pierre Chareau.

The Château de Gourdon also boasts a series of stunning gardens designed by André Le Nôtre, the renowned landscape architect responsible for the gardens of Versailles.

The perfectly manicured boxwoods in the Italian Terrace.

The Terrace of Honor with its shade trees and trimmed hedges.

This remarkable castle has survived through the ages and serves as a reflection on the decorative and architectural history of France.

For more information about the Château de Gourdon:
contact@chateau-gourdon.com
Telephone : +33 4 93 09 68 02
Fax : +33 4 93 09 68 97

French Art Deco: The Genesis of Modern Furniture

By Cynthia and Jean-Marc Fray

French Art Deco chest of drawers in the style of Ruhlmann, c. 1930.

The term “Art Deco” was coined after the name of the prestigious French Decorative Arts Expo held in Paris in 1925: “L’Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratif et Industriels Modernes”. This post-war exposition, intent on showing the world that France would once again lead the way in creating new standards of taste in fine and decorative art, served as a showcase for the most talented designers and craftsmen of the time, and officially launched the period of an emerging style that would become known as the Art Deco Period (1925-1940).

Inspired by cubist artists of the time (Picasso, Braques, Gris…), Egyptian art and French colonial art, the designs of the Art Deco period are characterized by clean lines, exotic woods, bold colors and unusual materials such as glass and steel. The graceful curves of the early 20th century Art Nouveau period were suddenly replaced with a new kind of angularity. Geometrical shapes, symmetry and streamlined designs offered a stark contrast to the sinuous, organic feel of the Art Nouveau period. Craftsmen preferred imported materials such as macassar, rosewood and ebonized wood; ivory and bone became materials of choice for intricate marquetry designs. Leather, chrome and glass were also being used in unusual ways. French Art Deco design introduced an exciting new sense of exoticism to the decorative arts, serving as an international display of France’s tolerance for and acceptance of other cultures. This bold new style, a quintessential symbol of fine taste, would endure for over 20 years, and prove to be the ultimate reference in the history of modern furniture design.

Notable designers of the period such as Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann not only defined the furniture trends of the time but set the highest of standards in craftsmanship, just as their forebears did in the 18th century. In fact, Ruhlmann himself, along with several other French Art Deco designers of the time, was often compared to the cabinetmakers that earned France’s reputation as the indisputable world leader for fine furniture design during the reign of Louis XIV. For instance, Ruhlmann’s pieces were handmade by only the most skilled cabinetmakers in France. Their work was one of meticulous perfection, both technically and aesthetically speaking, and very labor intensive thus driving the prices to all time highs.

Yet despite the prices these works fetched from France’s social elite, Ruhlmann claimed he lost money on every piece due to the expensive materials he used and the time and effort needed to build each design. In fact, he has said that he earned his living with a second business.

Jean-Michel Frank was another influential designer and decorator of Parisian high society of the 1930s and 40s. Frank’s progressive style, inspired by Neoclassicism and the abstract quality of primitive arts, was understated and stark, yet undeniably elegant. The genius behind Frank’s designs lay in a powerful combination of minimalist forms and the subtle use of unexpected materials and luxurious finishes. His blocky, rectangular club chairs and sofas have been endlessly copied and reproduced, and the decorative principles he created – “le style Frank” as the French call it - continue to influence contemporary designers and decorators all over the world.

Today, leading designers and collectors increasingly seem to favor the streamlines of the 30s over the opulence of French or continental 18th century furniture. Sales at high-end auction houses from London to New York to Paris are driving the trend to collect Art Deco pieces. “Art deco was a rich and wonderful moment in the history of the decorative arts”, says Philippe Garner, International Specialist Head in Christie's 20th-century Decorative Art and Design Department. “Collectors are seduced by the opportunity to furnish homes with pieces that are historic, but that also transcend their time”. This renewed interest in Art Deco and mid-century modern furniture coincides with a growing taste for a more purist modern home decor and sleek interior design.

As the signed pieces of the Art Deco period become more difficult to find, collectors are looking elsewhere for comparable quality and originality. Pieces made “in the style of” the leading designers of the period can be found for a fraction of the price of the originals. Numerous craftsmen in this period executed wonderful and well proportioned works without ever being brought to fame; such works need to be distinguished from French mass produced furnishings from the same era and a skillfully trained and reputable antiques dealer can help recognize the differences in the materials used, the construction, and the overall feel and style of a piece.

Pair of Italian Art Deco Leather Club Chairs, c. 1940, in the style of Gio Ponti.