Lava, marble, onyx, burgundy limestone… At the origins of architecture, used in classic French castles and residences, stone continues to add prestige to interiors today. Before it is used to make coatings, bathrooms or furniture it must be tamed by expert hands through multiple stages that go from sourcing to installation, including cutting. New techniques make it possible to offer complex shapes or reduce its weight.

True sculptor in stone, ALAIN ELLOUZ has contributed to making alabaster an essential material in luxury interior architecture.

The fresco painting consists of working in the fresh (making imprints, engraving, painting) offering infinite textured effects which bring a precious touch to the walls. Various traditional techniques of wall decoration are today revisited in a contemporary way and diverted for a new use: decorative panels, furniture… For example the combed plasters, the decoration on paper or the eglomise which consists on gilding the back of a sheet of glass.

Discover the precious textures and contemporary creations of L’ATELIER DU MUR

As part of an artistic approach, these objects are collected and gain value over time. At the border of art and design, they can be simply decorative or have functionality in an interior. Signed by their author, each piece is unique or edited in a limited number of copies, and results from exceptionally high-quality manufacturing.

The Parisian studio YMER&MALTA offers rare poetic pieces of museum level

Discover the French artists and exclusive crafts by the nomadic gallery MAISON PARISIENNE

Explore GALERIE MAY’s collection, embodying French elegance and cultural heritage

A traditional cabinetmaking technique of assembling pieces of wood, of essence and different tones, juxtaposed on carpentry background in order to come up with drawings, various patterns. The famous Boulle marquetry, is a plating of tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl or bone, combined with brass. Marquetry can also be applied to rarer or less common materials such as straw, metal or stone.

Discover LISON DE CAUNES, the master of straw marquetry

Associated with French elegance and luxury, the featherwork requires the mastery of complex technical gestures borrowed from virtuosity. This endangered ancestral art is now revisited and modernized by talented craftsmen. Traditionally used in the world of fashion and entertainment, the feather also offers endless possibilities in decoration. Combining nature with the meticulous work of the craftsman, the feather infuses interiors with luxurious authenticity and allows the creation of precious objects.

Discover the delicate and colorful feather creations by  JANAÏNA MILHEIRO

The perfect illustration of an ancestral know-how, metal is worked in an artistic way (iron, stainless steel, brass, aluminum, copper, bronze …) using artisanal but also industrial processes, in order to offer infinite textural possibilities. This craft is used for interior or exterior fittings (walls, floors, stair railings, gate, balcony …) but also for the creation of pieces of furniture and decoration (mirror, lights …).

Discover STEAVEN RICHARD, the ironworker artist

POUENAT offers exclusive furniture and lighting collections by top designers

France has a great tradition of hand-crafted bespoke furniture and decorative objects. The use of noble materials, the attention paid to the finishes, the mastery of technical gestures and the creativity of the designs make the quality of French craftsmanship.

Discover the Art Deco masterpieces from MAISON LELEU, a symbol of French refinement and luxury

DUVIVIER  offers exceptional sofas and armchairs, showcasing craftsmanship excellence and luxurious materials

Ancestral know-how, cabinetmaking consists of working wood in an artistic way – engraving, turning, molding, sculpture, marquetry – in order to make exceptional furniture. Draftsman, creator, connoisseur of wood species and decorative styles, the cabinetmaker masters both traditional techniques and the use of modern machine tools.

Holder of numerous excellence awards, ARCA offers contemporary pieces and innovative work

Once so representative as the final touch in bourgeois interiors, textiles have gradually become the star of contemporary interiors and are exhibited as a work of art. These natural and noble materials expresse an ancestral know-how and perpetuate the prestigious French history of artisanal weaving (Gobelins, Savonnerie, Aubussson, etc.).

CELINE ALEXANDRE creates unique materials, luxury fabrics and artworks made of textile.

An alloy of copper and tin, bronze has been known to man for millennia and is an integral part of the history of the French Decorative Arts (chandeliers, furniture). The craftsmen who hold this rare know-how are capable of restoring or reproducing old pieces. Today the noblest of metals is used to express a renewed creativity: contemporary pieces, collaborations with designers, tailor-made creations, alliance with other materials.

Legend in the Art Deco period, JEAN PERZEL offers an incomparable choice of hand-crafted bronze and glass lighting

The craft of stained glass is alive and well in France, stemming from a long tradition marked by its proximity to the art world. The technique has evolved a lot but the most common representation of it, which has been around since the Middle Ages, is the assembly of pieces of coloured glass using lead rods. A multitude of decorative details, geometric patterns, grisaille … all styles coexist and are enriched with painting, texture and gilding. Today, stained glass adds personality to even the most contemporary interiors.

Founded by the “Best Artisan in France”, ATELIER SAINT DIDIER offers a modern interpretation of stained glass

The carpenter is associated with the overall layout of a project in order to create harmonious and comfortable interiors. He installs finishing elements and custom-made furniture (doors, windows, stairs, partitions, etc.). Traditionally dedicated to woodworking, he is now interested in new materials.

Discover the exceptional interiors and finishes by SIGEBENE

These wooden wall panels – often decorated with carvings, paintings, gilding – serve as an additional decoration of the interior. Typical of French castles and old town mansions, today boiserie is also used in a contemporary fashion with new takes on textures, patinas, and colours etc

Contact us to find out more about the French workshops that could suit your project

The ornate facades, the carved bas-reliefs, the wall frescoes and decorative panels are all architectural elements that give a unique cachet to a project. Using an alternative to natural stone offers endless possibilities of colors, finishes, aging. This know-how requires a good technical mastery and a strong knowledge of aesthetic movements.

Discover the expertise of NOVIDIS for prestige buildings and interior design