World traveler, polyglot and avant-garde visionary Jean Royère (1902–81) is one of the biggest names in French mid-century design. He was fascinated by different materials, such as raffia and zebrawood, and aesthetics from around the world, from Scandinavian modernism to the traditions of the Middle East. Owing to this venturesome spirit, Royère produced an eclectic body of work that truly doesn’t fit a singular style. One light fixture might have organic shapes reminiscent of Art Nouveau, while a table would be crafted with minimalist straw marquetry.
Born in Paris, Royère studied classics at Cambridge University and then worked for an import-export company. In 1931, he switched gears to design, studying cabinetmaking in the workshops of Faubourg Saint-Antoine and furniture making under the tutelage of Pierre Gouffé. He made his debut in interior design in 1934 when he won a design contest for the brasserie in the Hotel Carlton on the Champs-Élysées.
Royère’s most famous piece of furniture was his biomorphic Boule sofa, sometimes playfully called the Ours Polaire, or Polar Bear. Designed for his mother in 1947, the curved sofa with its fuzzy white velvet shocked the French interior design world when it was displayed at the Art et Industrie exhibition, but it proved enduringly popular with customers, such as the Shah of Iran, who purchased several for his daughter. Royère would continue to design furniture and interiors for an elite clientele, including the kings of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Royère retired in 1972, then moved to the United States in 1980. After he died a year later, his archives were given to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His works continue to be highly coveted — Kanye West, for instance, once tweeted that the Polar Bear sofa is his favorite piece of furniture. In 2016, Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris opened a retrospective of his distinctive designs, from the plush 1943 Eléphanteau chair to the 1963 Tour Eiffel table with its elegant metal supports.
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Jean Royere Book by Catherine and Stephane de Beyrie and Jacques Ouaiss
By Jean Royère
Located in New York, NY
Book with stiff pictorial wrappers showcasing the work of renowned French designer Jean Royere, with many of the designs in this collection originating from Lebanese commissions. Pub...
Paper
Jean Royere: Exposition (Galerie Jacques Lacoste)
By Jean Royère
Located in New York, NY
Catalog published in conjunction with an exhibition of the works of Jean Royere held at the Jacques Lacoste Gallery in Paris from 25 May-2 July 1999. Lacoste was, and is, a passionat...
Paper
Royere Gouffe Cerused Oak Daybed Deco, France, 1930s-1940s Midcentury
By Jean Royère, Maison Gouffé
Located in New York, NY
Royere Gouffe cerused oak daybed deco, France, 1930s-1940s midcentury Amazing rare pair of daybeds designed by Royere and made by Maison Gouffe. In...
Oak
Jacques Jarrige
By Jacques Jarrige
Located in New York, NY
ISBN 979-8-9853078-0-1 Art book 328 pages This mid-career survey of the works of Jacques Jarrige marks the 12th anniversary of my fruitful collaboration with him. At the heart of...
Paper
$95
H 10 in W 14.25 in D 3 in
Versailles The Hidden Splendors of Sun King’s Palace Book by Catherine Pégard
Located in New York, NY
Versailles The Great and Hidden Splendors of the Sun King’s Palace By: Catherine Pégard Photographs by Christophe Fouin, Thomas Garnier, Christian Miles, and Didier Saulnier Versail...
Paper
Jean Royere by Jacques Lacoste & Patrick Seguin (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
In 1931, aged 29, Jean Royère (1902-1981) resigned from a comfortable position in the import-export trade in order to set up business as an interior designer. He learnt his new trade in the cabinetmaking workshops of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine in Paris. In 1934, he designed the new layout of the Brasserie Carlton on the Champs Elysées and found immediate success, embarking upon an international career that was to endure for nearly half a century. Royère tackled all kinds of decoration work and opened branches in the Near East and Latin America; among his patrons were King Farouk, King Hussein...
Paper
Paolo Buffa, Walnut Mid-Century Daybed, Italy 1940s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Argelato, BO
Paolo Buffa (1903-1970) Rare and very elegant wooden daybed Varnished walnut and fabric Model created circa 1940 H 58 × L 205 × W 95 cm Paolo Buffa was an Italian furniture des...
Velvet, Walnut
Magritte by Jacques Meuris 1988 1st Edition Hardcover Art Book
By René Magritte
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Magritte by Jacques Meuris 1988 1st Edition. First American Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. 233pp 393 illustrations. Blue boards in dust jacket. Translat...
Paper
Paris 1937 -- Exposition Internationale
By Eugene Beaudoin and Marcel Lods
Located in London, GB
Original French poster for the Exposition International in Paris, 1937. This award-winning Art Deco design was created by Eugene Beaudoin (1898-1983) and Marcel Lods...
Jean Prouve/Serge Mouille Book
Located in New York, NY
DeLorenzo 1950, Jean Prouve/Serge Mouille, 1985 exhibition catalog.
French Art Deco Headboard with Attached Night Stands circa 1930s
Located in Atlanta, GA
French Art Deco Headboard with Attached Night Stands, France, circa 1930s. It will fit a queen size mattress, measuring 63.5" between the attached night...
Metal, Brass
French Art Deco Nightstands, 1930s, Set of 2
Located in Miami, FL
Beautiful pair of French Art Deco bedside tables from around the 1930s made of walnut root wood, to be used as bedside tables in our bedr...
Walnut
$3,514
H 6.7 in W 6.7 in D 0.2 in
Original Catalog – Picasso Peintures 1955-1956 at Galerie Louise Leiris, 1957
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Barcelona, ES
Original Exhibition Catalog – Picasso Peintures 1955-1956 at Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris, 1957 Artist: Pablo Picasso Exhibition: Picasso Peintures 1955-1956 – Galerie Louise Leiri...
Paper
$1,000
H 32.29 in W 14.57 in D 13.39 in
Art Deco Nightstand or Bedside table Oak and Marble, Dutch, 1930s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Art Deco bedside table or nightstand in the style of the Amsterdam School, Netherlands, 1930s. Crafted from solid and veneered oak with marble top. All in very good original conditio...
Marble
Pair of Finnish Art Deco Oak Nightstands, c. 1930s
Located in Turku, Varsinais-Suomi
A pair of Finnish Art Deco nightstands crafted in solid oak during the 1930s. Their restrained geometric proportions and softly rounded corners reflect the transition from Nordic Cla...
Oak
Sold
H 5.52 in W 3.25 in D 5.12 in
Rare Pair Nickel Jean Royere Coat Hooks Racks Hangers Mid-Century French 1950s
By Jean Royère
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
This rare pair of Mid-Century nickel-plated coat hooks by avant-garde French designer Jean Royère are incredibly stylish and functional. Born in Paris, Jean Royère (1902-1981) made an international reputation as designer of luxury interiors in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America in the jet-setting 50s and 60s. Both coat hooks are stamped verso with J R DEPOSE. The coat hooks are beautifully sculpted from squared nickel-plated steel, which gives them a very Modernist look. The top hook features a knop, which appears as though it’s just balancing on top of the square section of steel. The lower hook has a broad curved arm so is perfect for jackets, causing minimal stress to your coats or hat! We have two sets of Jean Royère coat hooks...
Cut Steel, Nickel
Jean Royère Cheminees et Coins de Feu
By Jean Royère
Located in CA, CA
Jean Royère Cheminees et Coins de Feu Edition d'Art Charles Moreau, Paris 1950. First Edition. Illustrated paper covered boards with cloth spine. Folio with a suite 42 of loose photographic plates as issued in portfolio. with cloth spine. 42 black and white photographic plates of various fireplaces designed by A. Bernard, Roger Berthier, Leleu, Jacques Mottheau...
Paper
"Jean Royère, Decorateur a Paris" Book
By Jean Royère
Located in New York, NY
Catalog in colorful softcover boards published by Editions Norma to coincide with an exhibition held at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs from October 1999 to January 2000. Text is in Fr...
Paper
Jean Royère, Mobilier 1992 Limited Edition Book
By Jean Royère
Located in CA, CA
First edition, limited edition of 1150, published by Pierre Passebon, Galerie du Passage, 1992. Published in an edition of 150 ‘HC’ numbered copies, and ...
"Jean Royère" Décorateur à Paris
By Jean Royère
Located in CA, CA
First edition, softcover, published by Norma Editions, 1999, French edition. Celebrated French interior designer, Jean Royère refined his trade in cabinetmaking workshops of the F...
"Jean Royère" Décorateur à Paris
By Jean Royère
Located in CA, CA
First edition, softcover, published by Norma Editions, 1999, French edition. Celebrated French interior designer, Jean Royère refined his trade in cabinetmaking workshops of the F...
Jean Royère Umbrella Stand, circa 1950
By Jean Royère
Located in New York, NY
Jean Royère umbrella stand, circa 1950 metal.
Rare Set of Three Wall Hooks by Jean Royère
By Jean Royère
Located in Highland, IN
These three chrome plated Royère wall hooks can be used together or separately. They are beautiful by themselves on the wall, but can hold nearly anything: coats, hats, clothes, umb...
Stainless Steel, Chrome