Fine Finish

Andre Liardet is an ebeniste—a French word meaning an old-world master craftsman in the design and construction of fine furniture and cabinetry.

Andre began his training as an ebeniste in his native Lausanne, Switzerland, at the age of fourteen. Now, at seventy-five, this master craftsman still strives to maintain the highest level of craftsmanship.

A member of the Church since 1937, Andre met his wife, Yvette, during World War II, while he was serving in the Swiss army. He helped bring her into the Church, and in 1947, they were married. The following year, they immigrated to the United States.

Less than three years after arriving in the U.S., they settled in Beverly Hills, California, seeking a market for their kind of craftsmanship. At first, business was slow, and Andre had time to work as a carpenter helping to construct the Westwood Ward meetinghouse in Los Angeles.

Before long, though, his furniture-making business improved, and Brother and Sister Liardet moved to a larger shop in West Hollywood. Their work brought more than customers and a good reputation. They twice received the Award of Merit for residential remodeling from the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Yvette managed the antique store they established in their workshop, handled the business affairs, managed the work of the furniture finishers they hired, and assisted in restoring antiques and making reproductions, in addition to caring for their daughter, Rachelle.

To Brother and Sister Liardet, old-world craftsmanship is only one way of striving for perfection. Their prime goal in life is to live the gospel. After moving to Poway, California, the Liardets served a mission in Vienna, Austria, from 1984 to 1986.

When asked if he ever intends to stop working, Andre Liardet quickly answers, “I hope not! I still have much to do!”—Robert McGraw, San Diego, California

Andre Liardet: His furniture-making is only one way he seeks for perfection. (Photography by Robert McGraw.)