Pair of Brushed Steel and Smoked Glass Side Tables by Guy Lefèvre for Maison Jansen

Guy Lefèvre served as principal designer at Maison Jansen from the mid-1960s until the 1980s, a period during which he transformed the firm’s output from its earlier neoclassical revivalism into a harder-edged, more architecturally rigorous modernism. His furniture is immediately recognisable: the brushed steel frames, the smoked or clear glass tops and shelves, and the characteristic rivet detailing that runs along the structural members, combining industrial precision with a quality of craftsmanship befitting the house that created them.

This pair of square side tables exemplifies Lefèvre’s achievement. The brushed steel frame — two-tier, with both a top surface and a lower shelf in smoked glass — presents a composition of absolute geometric clarity: square in plan, low in profile, the quality of the steel rendered visible through the brushing process that creates its characteristic directional surface. The smoked glass introduces a note of sensuous depth, its grey tones complementing the cool silver of the steel.

At 62 × 62 centimetres with a height of 37 centimetres, these tables are perfectly proportioned for use beside a sofa or lounge chair, their low profile allowing the top surface to be reached comfortably while their transparency prevents any sense of visual heaviness. The pair retains the consistency of surface and finish that one expects from Maison Jansen production.

An essential acquisition for any serious collection of post-war French furniture design.