Description

SOLD in 2019 within 3 days of being listed in invisedge.com.au ! The sideboard that SOLD for $1890 was NOT restored. It needed to be re-finished and the veneer in one area needed repair.

The sideboard in the first 7 photos sold in 7 days of being listed for $2200 back in 2007. It sold to a customer in ENGLAND who paid over $2400 extra in freight costs (back in 2007) to get it overseas. The last 3 photos show the sideboard that sold in 2019 in 3 days from PHILLIP ISLAND, South of MELBOURNE for $1890 UNRESTORED. THIS SIDEBOARD SOLD UNDER CONSIGNMENT FROM MY CLIENT’S HOME. We operated as the seller’s agent and organised the full sale on the seller’s behalf.

Background Info and Provenance

AN AUTHENTIC 1940’s Art Deco Sideboard in the rarer blonde timber veneer with 2 labels- Worane European Labour and the S1 Australian Furniture Makers Standards label used back then. I believe this could be Camphor Laurel but the piece (and timber) is so rare I can’t be certain. I’ve been in the business of finding quality furniture design (from all eras) for 18 years now and I still find myself saying “incredible” every time I come across photos of this piece. I’ve come across 2 of these sideboards to buy now, one which I sold 12 years ago for $2200 (it sold immediately) and then this one which came my way after advertising I’d be keen to sell another like it in iNVISeDGE (I got this one after 18 months of advertising!). Without these ads online, I doubt I would have ever come across this piece. To say this design is rare is an understatement- try finding another!

This piece hits the nail on the head in my eyes- it’s the epitome of art deco (nouveau) styling with all those curves and the breathtaking patterning in the timber. But I think it’s the lighter-coloured timber that really sets the piece off. Most deco furniture is Walnut (very dark)- in Walnut this piece would have looked cumbersome and awkward-looking … just way “too much”.

This piece 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 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 it didn’t have the original deco label (verifying that it’s Australian) I’d think it was English, French (Nouveau) or even Scandinavian deco. When I sold my last 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 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. The label even proudly advertises that only European Labour was used. (Chinese “slave” labour was apparently used in Melbourne at the time this was constructed.) It was built in the 1940’s when Hitler came to power and many people were forced to flee Europe. Many 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 design and style 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 is irrefutable and if I say “incredible” out loud every time I see it (when I see so much incredible design every day) the design 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 definitely become more valuable in the future as work of this quality and esteem becomes harder and harder to get.