Jacques Adnet

Jacques Adnet (1901 – 1984) was a French Art Deco modernist designer, architect and interior designer, mostly known for his furniture designs in leather. An icon of luxurious French Modernism, Jacques Adnet grew up in the 20th century. He attended the Municipal School of Design in Auxerre and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He believed in the functional aspect of furniture combined with geometrical simplicity. Jacques Adnet was inspired by pre-classical styles and was well acquainted with traditional furniture. Until the age of 28, he lived and worked hand in hand with his twin brother Jean at the Studio La Maitrise, where they met the Art Deco designer Maurice Dufrenes. From 1928 to 1960, he directed La Compagnie des Arts Francais. His team of decorators included Francois Jourdain, Charlotte Perriand and Georges Jouve. Adnet presided over the Salon des Artistes Decorateurs from 1947 to 1949. During the 50s, he created furniture and concentrated on the numerous commissions he received, such as the decoration of the private apartments of the President at the Elysée Palace or a meeting room at UNESCOHe exhibited at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. Distinctly avant-garde, Adnet was among the first to expect metal and glass to integrate with the structure and decoration of furniture. In 1926, he designed the Salle Commune of Ile-de-France. CAF provided Adnet with an ideal platform from which to promote his modernist designs. These incorporated precious woods, chromed metals, embellishments such as mirrors, leather, parchment and smoked glass in linear styles with decoration pared away wherever possible. In 1970, Adnet became director of the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. He died in 1984 having created a legacy of fine design that feels modern even today.