Art & Architecture
article | Reading time7 min
Conceived as a total work of art, the Villa Cavrois was entirely conceived and designed by the architect Robert Mallet-Stevens, from its built envelope to its interior design. The furniture, associated with each of the ambiences of the rooms, blends into the décor and contributes perfectly to the harmony of the whole.
A harmonious whole
Designed by the architect to be unique not only in terms of their use but also in terms of their suitability for the room in which they are housed, the furniture leaves a specific mark on each space. Modernist in spirit, with its simple geometric form, the furniture also enhances the use of traditional materials such as wood. Here and there, industrial materials such as aluminium and steel are used.
Combining luxury and simplicity, the architect played with the boundaries between Art Deco and Modernism to meet the Cavrois family's specifications.
© Robert Mallet-Stevens © Laurent Gueneau / Centre des monuments nationaux
The furniture designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens presented very different aspects in different rooms of the villa. The sophistication of the furniture for the masters contrasted with the sobriety of that for the servants. The furniture and spaces for the children were also very different from those for the parents.
The furniture and architecture were designed to identify the inhabitants and highlight their character (Mr, Mrs, young men, young women), while at the same time responding to their specific use and convenience. The highly architectural design of the furniture structures the interior space.
© Albin Salaün / collection Les Arts décoratifs
The furniture in the Villa Cavrois, which was acquired by the State empty-handed, was dispersed in 1987. So what was to be done?
Given that the furniture was an integral part of the architecture, returning the furniture to the spaces for which it was designed was just as important as restoring the building itself.
The major difficulty with this refurnishing was the scarcity of sources, the architect having had his archives burnt on his death. However, several photographs taken in 1932 and 1986 have enabled us to put the pieces of the jigsaw together.
Since 2009, the Centre des Monuments Nationaux has been pursuing a policy of rational acquisition of the Villa Cavrois collections. Through public sales, auctions abroad and purchases from Parisian galleries, this long-term project has enabled a number of pieces of furniture and objects to be returned to the spaces for which they were designed, and thus to their perpetual home. Other pieces of original furniture have been donated or bequeathed to the monument's collections.
© Colombe Clier / Centre des monuments nationaux
The latest acquisitions!
In 2024, the CMN acquired the double-top table in the entrance hall.
In 2022, the original 1932 piece of furniture, which had been irreversibly altered, was restored to its original state, as were the carpets in the dining room, the children's dining room and the lounge.
In 2019, the CMN acquired the ceruse oak table from the yellow room.
In 2018, an important group of furniture and objects designed by Mallet-Stevens.
In 2016, the secret compartment table from the parents' bedroom.
In 2015, the Villa's collections were enriched by the furniture from Monsieur Cavrois' salon and study, as well as a desk and two chairs from the girls' study.
© Didier Plowy / Centre des monuments nationaux
© Succession Breuer © Colombe Clier / Centre des monuments nationaux
© Colombe Clier / Centre des monuments nationaux
© Robert Mallet-Stevens © Laurent Gueneau / Centre des monuments nationaux
© Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre des monuments nationaux
© Robert Mallet-Stevens © Colombe Clier / Centre des monuments nationaux