Desk/Dressing table with bench by Chanaux et Pelletier

At some point in the 1910s, after studying at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Chanaux began his first known position working for André Groult, himself known for the use of exotic surfaces and exacting execution. At some point in the early 1920s, Chanaux set up a workshop with the cabinetmaker Gilbert Pelletier, eventually developing a substantial operation employing over forty workers. The quality of execution attracted a number of design luminaries seeking quality production for their creations, such as Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, Marcel Coard and Eugène Printz.

In the 1920s, budding designer Jean-Michel Frank was drawn to Chanaux-Pelletier’s particular talents, using exotic veneers to create interiors that seemed to dematerialize space with layered texture. Chanaux and Frank collaborated on numerous projects, which eventually led to Frank becoming artistic director of Chanaux-Pelletier in 1930. In October of that year, Frank would buy out Pelletier, and the company would take the name Chanaux & Co.