Guillerme & Chambron for Votre Maison Sideboard in Oak with Tile Inlay

Guillerme et Chambron for Votre Maison, buffet, oak and ceramic, France, 1960s

This characteristic sideboard in solid oak was designed by French duo Jacques Chambron and Robert Guillerme for Votre Maison. The design combines functionality with a strong sculptural presence. The cabinet features two large sliding doors at the bottom, a drop-down door in the center, and four drawers that provide ample storage space. The doors are decorated with vertical carved patterns, a recurring element in the duo’s work. The raised legs, simple yet architectural, lift the piece and give it a refined presence. The upper section of the cabinet includes a tiled inlay, making it not only decorative but also practical as a working surface, for example in a kitchen or dining area.

The French designer duo Jacques Chambron (1914-2001) and Robert Guillerme (1913-1990) started their production postwar. Robert Guillerme studied design and architecture at the École Boule and graduated first in his class in 1934. Meanwhile, Jacques Chambron graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Reims. During the Second World War, the two met in a stalag, a Prussian prisoner camp, while being imprisoned by the Germans in East Prussia and started a great friendship based on their intense and deep passion for interior design. In 1948, Chambron resigned from his job as a painter and decorator on the Rue Nollet in Paris to move to Lille, in the North of France and join Guillerme. A year later, the two met cabinetmaker Émile Dariosecq, who was the owner of a workshop close by. It was during this meeting, that they decided to create their own company. They named it “Votre Maison”, meaning “Your Home”, which became the soul of the company. With this, they wanted to create pieces that focused on functionality combined with a beautiful design useful for daily life, by which they created a worldwide reputation. Most of the furniture designed by this duo shows a strong character and has a great expressive woodwork. The three of them divided their work equally. Overall, Guillerme worked as a designer, Chambron as a commercial, and Dariosecq’s workshop manufactured the pieces. Throughout their career, ‘Votre Maison’ produced over two thousand models, leaving a lasting mark in the world of design.