French Modernist Oak Bar Cabinet Bookshelf by Guillerme and Chambron

OAK BAR-CABINET BOOKSHELF WITH LAMP

Guillerme et Chambron for Votre Maison, unmarked
France, 1970s

Oak, oak veneers, leather, glass

76 3/4" H including the light
63" H without light x 19 1/4" D x 58" W

A most useful design by the always clever duo Robert Guillerme and Jacques Chambron, this bar-cabinet and open bookshelf features a loosely brutalist meets minimalist form with a heavy emphasis on the natural beauty of warm unembellished oak throughout. In the lower left a cabinet door falls to reveal a generous space where bar implements might be stored for easy access, though the hole cut in the back shows owners who found other uses for this blind cabinet. The design includes a custom lamp that cantilevers over the bookcase, attaching on the far right (needs to be rewired).

The bookshelf was produced by Votre Maison, the firm established in 1949 by Robert Guillerme (1913–1990) and Jacques Chambron (1914–2001) in collaboration with cabinetmaker Émile Dariosecq. Guillerme trained at the École Boulle, graduating first in his class in 1934, while Chambron studied at the School of Applied Arts in Reims. The two met during the Second World War while held in a prisoner camp in East Prussia. Following the war, Chambron joined Guillerme in Lille, where, together with Dariosecq, they formed Votre Maison. Production was carried out in Dariosecq’s workshop, with Guillerme responsible for design and Chambron for commercial direction.

Votre Maison produced a large body of work over several decades, with furniture characterized by solid oak construction and an emphasis on practical use within domestic interiors.

Condition: Hole cut for electricity inside the cabinet. Left back stile re-veneered with oak. Will need to be re-wired and tested. Original surface throughout, warm patina with discolorations and use indicators as expected (a few stray scuffs, abrasions, speckling/water marks, minor grime and accretion that has largely become part of the overall patination). Screws for leather strap replaced. Stray screw holes in the stiles. Ready to place.

ref. 510FDP14Z