The streets of Paris
Our collections are all named after Parisian streets: Séverin, Vaneau, Mayet, Vavin... It's a tribute to the City of Light, to the timeless elegance it embodies. These are streets that have inspired and accompanied my creative research over time. Naming a collection after a Parisian street is, to me, a way of giving it a touch of Parisian charm, and an acknowledgment that the Parisian environment, so rich aesthetically, has nourished and shaped my work.
Collections: a unity of style
I had the chance to visit a major modernist work of the 20th century, the Maison de Verre by Pierre Chareau. The architect and designer Pierre Chareau not only conceived the architecture of this iconic place but also every piece of furniture within it. The overall impression struck me, a perfect unity of style across seating, lighting, bookshelves, even the bathroom fittings. This harmony between pieces brings a sense of perfection, coherence, continuity, serenity. It's this search for a unity of style that I've tried to recreate with each of my collections. Each collection is defined by a formal kinship between its pieces, allowing harmonious sets to emerge, where the furniture is designed for one another. The collections are distinguished by their proportions, each one defined by the geometry of its metal base and the type of steel used:
The Séverin Collection
The Séverin Collection, made up of 18 references (from the coffee table to the bookshelf, the lamp, the screen), is defined by the use of steel strips 50 mm wide and 5 mm thick. The slenderness of these steel strips gives an impression of lightness, lending the Séverin Collection its particular signature. On the Séverin coffee table, for instance, the striking cantilever of the glass top is set off by the thinness of its base. Likewise, the shelves of the Séverin bookshelf seem to almost float in the air like a Donald Judd sculpture, the base is so discreet.
The Mayet Collection
The Mayet Collection (19 references) is defined by the use of steel strips 100 mm wide and 5 mm thick. These wider strips increase the mechanical strength of the base, making it better suited to heavier, more substantial pieces like the Mayet Bar or the Mayet Table. The steel takes on a more graphic presence in the pieces of the Mayet collection.
The Vaneau Collection
The Vaneau Collection (10 references) uses square tubes 25 mm to a side. These slender steel squares, surprisingly sturdy thanks to their tubular structure, seem to dematerialize the base, as seen on the Vaneau Secretary, whose visual lightness is striking. The square tube structure is also particularly well suited to lighting, since the hollow interior allows electrical wiring to pass through.
The Vavin Collection
The Vavin Collection (5 references) stands out with bases even thinner than those of the Vaneau Collection, built from solid square profiles 12 mm by 12 mm. The work of reduction and dematerializing the structure is pushed to its limit here. The result is exceptionally light furniture, like the Vavin Table or the Vavin coffee table. The base is reduced here to a stroke, a line, leaving even more room for the expressiveness of the oak or American walnut top.