Between Art and Use

In the quiet clarity of the Dutch art-movement known as De Stijl, geometry became a language, and objects a medium for exploring the tension between sculpture and daily life. Among the most compelling outcomes of that vision is the Schröder Table — designed by Gerrit Rietveld for the legendary Rietveld Schröder House and executed in the 1960s by master cabinetmaker G.A. van de Groenekan. The result is a side table that subverts expectations: a piece of furniture which behaves like artwork and a statement that remains functional.

Made circa the 1960s in lacquered and laminated wood – painted in the primary palette of red, yellow, blue, black and white – the Groenekan table stands apart. The factory mark “G.A. v.d. GROENEKAN / DE BILT NEDERLAND” confirms its provenance. It is handmade, each joint visible, each brushstroke traceable to the craftsman’s hand. Where later editions, notably those produced by Cassina for mass-manufacture, adopt a more standardised production route, the Groenekan version retains the expressive nuance of the original vision — every border, every plane, every intersection a testament to Rietveld’s architectural thinking and Groenekan’s artisanal skill.

The design roots of the table trace back to 1923–24, when Rietveld created furniture for the Rietveld Schröder House. There, furniture, architecture and life were meant to merge: sliding panels, open plan, colour-planes intersecting both walls and furnishings. The Schröder Table embodies that ethos — an asymmetrical composition of vertical and horizontal elements that rejects traditional balance in favour of spatial dynamism. It is not simply a table placed in a room; it is part of the room’s structure, as much architecture as furniture.

What elevates the Groenekan example further is its unique character. Unlike the more widely distributed Cassina versions, the Groenekan table was handmade in limited quantity, treated almost like a work of art rather than an off-the-shelf piece. In the context of the De Stijl movement, this emphasis on craftsmanship and the interplay of colour, form and function aligns perfectly: the table is both object and idea. It invites the user to sit beside it, but also to reflect on it. It invites use, but also contemplation.

Collectors recognise this difference. While the Cassina version may deliver the visual design, it does not carry the same provenance or artisanal signature. The Groenekan example – with its visible joinery, lacquered surfaces and historic lineage – speaks of a moment in design when boundaries between art and furniture, architecture and object, were fluid. In this sense it is collectible not merely for its aesthetic appeal but for its place in design history.

Visitors to the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — may glimpse the interlocking planes and primary hues in the living-dining space. The table’s connection to the house reinforces its story: a table conceived as part of an entire lifestyle, where chairs, cabinets, architecture, and environment were conceived together. In the home of Truus Schröder-Schräder (the patron) and Rietveld the table represented more than furniture — it was a declaration of how one might live.

For those who appreciate the crossroads of art and utility, the Schröder Table stands as an exemplar. Its handmade nature, bold palette, architectural pedigree and the distinction of the Groenekan production render it a piece that is at once historical document and living object. It invites us to use it, yet also to regard it as art; to live with it, yet to recognise its place in the lineage of modern design.

In a world of reproduction and mass-scale manufacture, the Groenekan Schröder Table whispers of another era — one when design was experimental, boundaries were fresh, and every piece was an idea brought to life. It remains a compelling reminder that furniture can transcend its utility and become part of a broader vision of living.