Exceptional Highboard storage cabinet (tall sideboard) designed in the 1960s by the renowned Belgian designer Oswald Vermaercker. This centrepiece perfectly embodies the golden age of Belgian modernist design and the Scandinavian refinement that strongly influenced Belgian creation during the mid-twentieth century.
Quality of Materials and Woodwork:
This piece is distinguished by the use of a Rio rosewood (Brazilian Rosewood) veneer of remarkable quality. The grain of the wood, dark, contrasting and deeply expressive, has been meticulously selected and applied in “book-matched” fashion on the doors and the top. The flame-like patterns of the rosewood give this piece a unique sculptural presence and a highly decorative dimension.
Design and Features:
The cabinet presents a superb geometric façade divided into two distinct sections:
• Upper section: Opens by two hinged doors onto a fitted interior, comprising shelves and removable vertical dividers, ideal for use as a bar or writing cabinet.
• Lower section: Fitted with two sliding doors that optimise space, revealing wide adjustable storage shelves.
The signature detail lies in its handles: magnificent rectangular finger pulls, sculpted in relief directly into the mass of the wood, typical of Oswald Vermaercke’s craftsmanship. The whole rests on a slender, tapered sledge base, which lends an impression of airy lightness elegantly contrasting with the robustness of the cabinet’s body.
This piece is in excellent original condition. The original varnish has retained all its lustre, revealing the superb natural, warm patina of the rosewood. Perfectly sound and stable structure. The doors and runners operate smoothly. Few minimal traces of use consistent with its age. Excellent condition, very fine patina.
Remarkable pair of bedside tables (or sofa ends) in flamed mahogany veneer, representative of prestigious mid-twentieth-century Milanese cabinetmaking, in the taste of Paolo Buffa.
The veneer reveals a russet-orange shimmer with golden reflections that shift according to the light. The flanks, carved in an inverted arch, lend the whole a remarkable lightness despite the presence of the material. Four tapered legs terminate in conical cast brass sabots.
Each piece is fitted with a drawer featuring a two-tone façade — a band of black-stained pearwood, a noble substitute for ebony, set against a warm mahogany ground — closed by an elegant ogee cut-out. The cast brass handle, shaped as a flattened gondola, is characteristic of the decorative vocabulary of Northern Italy in the 1960s. The top, covered in black églomisé glass, is surmounted by an open gallery with a clear glass shelf edged in green.
Sold as a pair only.
Very good overall condition. Veneer intact, drawers functional. Light traces of use consistent with age.
A rare rolling drinks cabinet known as a Dry Bar Cart, an emblematic creation by the celebrated Milanese architect and designer Carlo di Carli (1910-1999) for the prestigious Italian editor FARM (Scorzè), circa 1960/1965.
This piece is distinguished by the masterful use of thermoformed bent wood, the editor’s speciality, offering lines of organic and fluid purity. Conceived to be both functional and mobile, it stands on original castors discreetly concealed beneath its base, allowing it to be moved easily around a drawing room.
Two large curved doors open to reveal suspended semi-circular shelves, fitted with original silvered metal retaining straps to secure glasses and decanters.
The front opens by means of a drop-down panel fitted with an articulated mechanical stay. It reveals a generous central compartment lacquered in white, specially designed to store bottles upright in complete safety. In the lower section, a wide concealed drawer is harmoniously integrated into the plinth for the storage of bar accessories.
As the back of the cabinet benefits from the same fine veneer as the front, this bar may be used at the centre of a room or at the end of a sofa.
Materials: blond walnut veneer, service surfaces in laminate/white lacquer, original stays and fittings.
Excellent overall condition, smooth mechanism, working castors. Slight oxidation on the hinge metalwork consistent with its age. (see photograph)
This piece takes the form of a compact chest of drawers resting on four slender compass legs, a hallmark of 1950s–60s design. The façade, of great sobriety, is punctuated by three drawers with recessed oval handles in contrasting black, lending a discreet and refined graphic touch.
The teak veneer, with its warm and luminous tones, has been carefully selected, showcasing a fine and regular grain.
The remarkable feature of this piece lies in its transformable mechanism:
- The top opens by means of a lift-up flap- The inner face of this flap is entirely fitted with a mirror- A second mirror is set into the lower section (top surface), creating a play of reflections and genuine visual depth
- The sliding panel extends towards the user, forming a functional surface (dressing table or writing slope)This ingenious arrangement, typical of 1960s design, perfectly illustrates the quest for optimised space and versatility: a piece at once discreet and transformable, conceived for modern interiors.
The work of Paul Geoffroy belongs to the current of post-war French modernism, influenced by Scandinavian design and functionalist principles. Here one finds:. Pure lines and balanced proportions. Restraint in ornamentation. The pursuit of intelligent and modular use. Quality of execution and attention to detailThis piece bears witness to a design that is both elegant and pragmatic.
Traces on the silvering of the mirrors attest to their authenticity.
A handsome coffee table designed by Mario Marenco for Mobilgirgi, Italy, 1970s.
Executed in solid oak, this table is distinguished by its four characteristic legs composed of rounded slats that rise above the top — an immediately recognisable signature of Mario Marenco's design.
The top rests between the legs in a perfect balance between robustness and lightness. The texture of the oak, the knots in the wood and the carefully rounded edges testify to a high quality of manufacture.
Very good general condition, patina of use consistent with the age of the piece.
Italy, 1970s.
A very fine design rolling cart in brushed steel and dark-green smoked glass on swivel wheels. The table is sold with its serving tray. 1970s.
A fine Italian Neoclassical console table of the mid-20th century with four legs, in cream-lacquered and giltwood, apron decorated with rosettes, square tapered and fluted legs. Stretcher surmounted by a finial, cream marble top.
An elegant pair of pedestal columns in wood, with painted decoration in faux-marble trompe-l'œil. The central shaft imitates a beige-yellow marble with fluid veining, while the bases and upper tops evoke a black marble veined with white. Decorative work executed by hand in the 1970s in the spirit of revisited classical interiors. Perfectly stable and solid. Very good general condition. Weight: 11.500 kg each.
An elegant round guéridon in painted wood resting on a tripod base richly carved with volutes, beads and stylised shells, enhanced with gilt highlights. The central baluster shaft is adorned with gadroons and pearled motifs, in a Baroque and Rocaille spirit revisited in the 19th century. Later patina. The circular top is in painted wood decorated in faux marble in tones of brown and ochre, a sought-after decorative technique that lends the whole refinement and originality. Good general condition, wear and patina of time.
A very fine rectangular coffee table in teak, emblematic of 1960s Scandinavian design, produced by the celebrated Danish manufactory Trioh. This piece stands out for the elegance of its lines and the quality of its finishes. It features an upper top with slightly curved edges and a slatted shelf (magazine rack) in the lower section, offering functional storage space while underlining the airy graphism of the structure. The tapered base, typical of Danish Modernism, lends great visual lightness to the whole. The table bears the original mark "Trioh - Made in Danemark" stamped beneath the top, guaranteeing its authenticity and value on the art market.
Excellent state of preservation. The teak presents a deep, warm honey patina. The structure is perfectly stable.
An exceptional and rare four-leaf screen presenting an Arte Povera (or Lacca Povera) decoration on a ground of antique green lacquer. This piece constitutes a refined testimony of the taste of the Directoire period, marking the transition between the delicacy of the 18th century and the rigour of the First Empire.
The decoration is composed of applied engravings, after the works of Carle Vernet (1758-1836). One finds here the artist's favourite themes: hunting scenes, genre scenes, Neoclassical repertoire such as winged caducei, quivers, torches and laurel wreaths. The Arte Povera technique consists of the meticulous application of engravings on a painted support, the whole protected by numerous layers of resin varnish.
The reverse of the screen is treated with equal care, presenting moulded panels painted in a green tonality. Late 18th / early 19th century.
A striking and elegant pair of carved, painted and gilt wood pedestals. Apron decorated with acanthus leaves, red marble top supported by three legs decorated with winged dragons in the upper section, joined by a stretcher shelf. Italy, 19th century.