SOLID ELM WOOD R13 SIDEBOARD, by Pierre Chapo (1960)

R13 high sideboard made of solid elm wood designed by French designer and craftsman Pierre Chapo and was made in France in the 1960s.
Eight drawers (seven on one side and a large front drawer) and two French-style opening doors with hinges and a locking system of the original doors imagined by the designer.

Materials: Solid elm and brass. The elm is recognized as one of the most beautiful and durable European species, the elm is a species of wood that has become precious and rare since these trees fell victim to a disease a few decades ago.

Designer: Born on July 23, 1927 in Paris, Pierre Chapo comes from a family of craftsmen, dyers. He first tried his hand at painting, then was introduced to woodworking, his future favorite material, by a master carpenter of the navy. In 1947, he joined the Architecture section of the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris and began many trips throughout Europe including the Scandinavian countries and England. Back in France, Pierre Chapo continues working with wood, mainly oak, ash and solid elm, which he articulates with his dual interest in contemporary design and the know-how of traditional craftsmanship. After a few years, the Chapo couple opened a gallery on Boulevard de l’Hôpital. In 1960, as part of the Arts et techniques de l’artisanat exhibition, Pierre Chapo’s work was rewarded with a Gold Medal from the city of Paris. In 1962, he set up his furniture workshop in Clamart and participated in several projects with various architects-project managers including Isamu Noguchi, Serge Mouille and Charlotte Perriand for the resort of Les Arcs. The couple then moved to Gordes, Vaucluse and founded the Chapos Company in 1968.
Combining modernity and tradition, Chapo’s creations are massive, primal but always functional. Pierre Chapo died in January 1987, barely 60 years old. His son, Fidel Chapo took over the family business in Gordes, and continues today to produce a hundred models.