Mid 20th Century Étienne Kohlmann Brutalist Sideboard

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A brutalist period sideboard by Étienne Kohlmann, circa 1940. Full of character, made of solid oak, and finished in a … Read more A brutalist period sideboard by Étienne Kohlmann, circa 1940. Full of character, made of solid oak, and finished in a mahogany stain.

Étienne Kohlmann (1903-1988) was a French decorator and later an architect. He was trained at the École Boulle and the professional school of Rambouillet, and he joined the Studium du Louvre at a young age, eventually becoming its director from 1927 to 1937. Kohlmann was active in major exhibitions, including the 1925 Paris Decorative Arts and the 1937 International Exhibition, and he contributed to the New York 1939 presentation of the clothing industry. His notable works in the 1930s include the laboratories of Dr. Debat in Garches and the offices of the Parisian Electricity Company. Post-war, he focused more on architecture, including modernist houses like a 1964 project near Fontainebleau. His style is characterized by elegant modernism derived from Art Deco, featuring simple geometric lines, functional volumes, and high-quality execution using noble woods, lacquers, and metal. This taste for scenography is evident in his furniture and interiors. See less