Description
SOLD for $2,400 within 7 days of being listed (in 2023).
LOCATION- Brisbane Northside approx 6km from the city. Can be transported Australia-wide for a reasonable additional fee- about $300 to Sydney.
There’s one display photo in this listing of one of these sideboards we sold in the past.
Background Info and Provenance
AN AUTHENTIC 1940’s art deco sideboard in the rarer blonde timber veneer. This art deco cabinet was made by Worane in Australia. We sold one of these previously with a Worane label on it, a European Labour label and also the S1 Australian Furniture Makers Standards label used back at the time. I believe this is Camphor Laurel veneer. I’ve been in the business of finding quality furniture design (from all eras) for 22 years now and I still find myself saying “incredible” every time I see photos of this piece. I’ve now come across three of these sideboards. One sold immediately in 2007 for AU$2,200- the buyer was in London and paid AU$2,400 on top of this price to get it overseas. (That one sold in an ebay auction and the underbidder was in Hong Kong.) The second one sold in 2019 within 3 days of being listed on this website. To say this design is rare is an understatement- try finding another!
This is such a great investment opportunity- with inflation, the one we sold back in 2007 would now be worth AU$3,227 but the rarity means it really should be worth more. I’ve seen Parker sideboards from the 1960’s (made of shitty chipboard) priced at around $5,000. This piece is in an entirely different league (there’s NO chipboard in this piece at all!) and if someone paid a total of $4,600 (including freight) back in 2007, the investment appeal on offer here is a no-brainer.
The design of this sideboard hits the nail on the head in my eyes- it’s the epitome of art deco (nouveau) styling with all those curves and the breath-taking patterning in the timber. But I think it’s the lighter-coloured timber that really sets it off. Most art deco furniture is Walnut (very dark)- in Walnut this piece would have looked cumbersome and awkward-looking … just way “too much”.
This art deco sideboard not only showcases incredible styling but craftsmanship that’s just as incredible and of course the work of Mother Nature- the figuring in this timber is just as awe-inspiring. Most of the construction of this piece was done BY HAND- this type of craftsmanship and attention to detail is rarely seen anymore.
A lot of great furniture came out of Australia from the 1930’s through to 1970’s but there are very few of these cabinets around. If a previous one I handled hadn’t had the original deco label (verifying it was Australian) I would have thought it was English, French (Nouveau) or even Scandinavian deco. When I sold the one in 2007, someone emailed me to tell me it was called a “P & O cabinet” after the cruise ships at the time that had a similar shape.
This art deco sideboard is very functional- great storage, heaps of space with its various compartments and the felt-lined cutlery drawer. And obviously really well-made, hand-constructed back in the days when pride was taken in craftsmanship. It was built in the 1940’s around the time Hitler came to power and many people were forced to flee Europe. Lots of Australian designs from this era (particularly those made in Melbourne) came from European designers, artists and makers. It’s a weird thought but without World War II Australian furniture design may not have gotten out of the Dark Ages (or not until decades later anyway). This piece has a distinctly European look to it and is a fascinating page out of the Australian furniture history book.
When a piece looks like this after over 80 years of use, the QUALITY of the construction is irrefutable and if I say “incredible” out loud every time I see it (when I see so much design around me every day) the style is timeless too. Investing in quality items from the past is a great way to bring the energy of true artisans and craftspeople into your home AND reduce landfill. Amongst the sea of cheap flat-packed furniture, this piece stands alone. And to top it off I can’t think of a better furniture investment you could make- this 80 year old piece has lost NO value over the years and in my opinion will become more valuable in the future as work of this quality and esteem becomes harder and harder to get. There is no better way I can think of to invest in your home and the future of our environment.
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