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About André Sornay
André Sornay (1902-2000) was a visionary 20th-century designer from Lyon, France. He took over his family's furniture business at 17, steering it away from traditional styles towards modernist movements like Bauhaus and De Stijl. Known for his innovative 'cloutage' technique, which used brass nails to create decorative lines on veneered furniture, Sornay patented this method in 1932. In the post-war era, Sornay tackled material shortages by standardizing production and creating fully demountable furniture. His 1953 patent for the 'Sornay Tigette' rod system revolutionized furniture design, enabling easy assembly and disassembly.
This innovation anticipated the modern concept of kit furniture, paving the way for the kind of products now popularized by companies like IKEA. By the late 1950s, he focused on modular furniture for public projects, blending vibrant colors, modern materials and geometric forms. Although he worked outside the Parisian design hub, Sornay's influence was significant. His pioneering work in modular and kit furniture, coupled with his commitment to democratizing design, cemented his status as a key figure in 20th-century design.