Cabinet or Bar by De Coene Frères, Brutalist Design Op'Art Vintage, Blackened Oak, ca 1970s

Cabinet / bar or secretary in brutalist style / op'art, designed in the 1970s by the belgian furniture house de coene frères in kortrijk. This production is sometimes attributed, but without certainty, to the belgian designator emile veranneman. Made of oak and blackened lacquered sandblasted oak forming an optical circle (typical of the brutalist era of the 70s). The upper part opens by folding like a secretary and is composed on the left of a shelf box, on the right of a removable white "bar box" in order to leave the choice of use (bar / secretary / cabinet...). The base of the cabinet is composed of a base covered with a thick sheet of brushed aluminum. Furniture in good condition, note 2 small cut-outs in the back allowing a passage of electrical cable and a small blow on the back of the upper shelf (see photo, red arrows). De coene frères (kortrijk): 1887 is the year in which the story of de coene in kortrijk begins. During the interwar period, the company gained international fame for the production of high-quality wooden art deco furniture. Based on the arts and crafts philosophy, the company will call on great artists and architects, including the painter albert saverys. In addition to the individual sale of furniture to the wealthy bourgeoisie, the company is also responsible for tailor-made furnishing for restaurants, hotels, casinos, trains, banks and other large institutions. Orders from abroad (france, the netherlands and the united kingdom) poured in and the company became one of the largest furniture manufacturers in belgium and its reputation became international. We will also note a mass production from 1929, up to 1000 radio cabinets per day are produced for philips eindhoven. At the end of the 30s, more than 3000 people were employed in the various departments. The company is still in business today...

Ref. : C5CBP2WF