FrenchTrotters et lab. join their talents to create an exclusive household linen collection. The line is entirely made in France with the emblematic fabrics of the « preppy » style : check cotton, oxford & Liberty. You’ll discover soft feather cushions, a nice blue check duvet cover, a cosy eiderdown & a table set with  orange piping that will light our summer diners up. For our babies bed,  the very nice Claire-Aude Liberty fabric coordinated with a vanilla percale form an harmonious whole: a baby sleeper, a cot bumper, very soft little cushions & an eiderdown which can also be used as a comfortable playmat.
>> SEE THE COLLECTION

I shot the collection by Elodie Laléous in the beautiful apartment of Clarisse Demory, the founder of charming blog “ensuite”
>> VISIT CLARISSE’S BLOG

Made on demand duvet cover by lab. with linen and striped cotton

Focus on the cover made with fabrics coming from the fashion brand A.P.C.

And the matching pillow cases!

I particularly love this item made especially for Julie by our workshop!
The top of the duvet cover is made with a white/grey striped cotton, the bottom with a very nice raspberry/coral linen. Between the 2 fabrics, on one side there’s a red piping & on the other side a grey one. Julie just has to turn the cover back to front to change the style of her room!
If you’d like to request our made on demand service, just have a look on the boutique to see the fabrics/styles you like and send your idea by email to: contact@lab-boutique.com

We reached out to Parisian furniture and fabric designer Elodie Laléous of Lab Boutique for our very first Raneytown interview. She is truly a sweetheart and we hope you enjoy her responses as much as we have.

What is Lab? Lab. is the company I launched a year ago, the idea was to propose a whole collection for home with items entirely made in France. I also use fabric coming from fashion brands archives such as A.P.C.
This is experimental in that way, trying to make a product which has low environmental impact, preserving French know-how and good design at affordable price.

What / where did you study? At IFM Institut Français de la mode, Design and Fashion Management

Who do you look up to? I’m trying to propose a design adapted to people’s new ways of living and more generally a good design applied to all the items surrounding us (textile design and not only furniture design). For instance I notice my friends are always with a laptop or smartphone in their flat and move with it. Therefore I think it’s almost cruel to make a desk room with a “computer” now because these apparels are linked to every actions in our life know. So there should be an object to help reading it more comfortably and place to hide it when you don’t use it anymore.

Read more….

Japanese print made with a "tie-dye" technique

Japanese print from Okinawa

fabric weaved in Ghana in the 30's

tapestry by Gunta Stolzl for the Bauhaus in the 30's

Back from Première Vision, I wanted to share with you my passion for fabrics and talk about a old lady I met there. She collects vintage fabrics & sale them to people interested in the re-edition of those forgotten patterns. Of course I can’t show you any of these well-kept secret treasures but I made a small selection from a book offered by my sister years ago and that I preciously keep in my bookshelf.

-The first fabric is a Japanese print by the artist Itchiku Kubota made at the end of the XXth century. The fabric is sewed and tied before being dyed. This process is called shiburo meaning tied or wringed in Japanese.
-The second is a detail from a silk gauze made in the XIXth century at Okinawa & printed with a stencil. The plum-tree flowers or sunshades were very popular among the local aristocracy.
-The third is a weaved fabric made in Ghana in the 30′s. It’s a good example of very long sewed fabric bands.
-The fourth is made at the same time. The tapistry was created by Gunta Stolzl who ran the weaving workshop of  the Bauhaus School from 1927 until 1930.

A promise made is a promise kept! I choose some pictures to illustrate my previous post on Maison & Objet.

Ceramics by Alexa Lixfeld

Hook for jacket by Akiko Kuwahata for Danish Crafts

Bold chair by Moustache

Rug by Donna Wilson for SCP

I enclose the links and places of these designers on the fair. It follows the order of images. Enjoy!

http://www.alexalixfeld.com/ the great ceramics by Alexa Lixfled who just won the Designpreis Deutschland 2011. Where? M153
http://www.craftscollection.dk/ the Information Center of Danish Crafts showing a great selection of Danish new talents. Where? H176
http://moustache.fr/ the very trendy parisian “Maison d’édition”. Where ? G163
http://www.scp.co.uk/ a very nice british brand proposing kind of vintage furniture in nice colours. Where? G157

After a very exciting visit, which was full of great discoveries, I enclose the places that MUST be seen! It’s all at Hall 7 near the famous “Now design à Vivre” space.

http://www.ruedition.com/ a charming designer whose work reminds me immediatly of Piet Hein Eek, in the french version from Nantes. Where ? C87
http://moustache.fr/ the very trendy parisian “Maison d’édition”. Where ? G163
http://www.editionsousetiquette.fr/ the collective from St-Etienne which just made an exhibition in the new Parisian Design place: Lieu Commun! Where ? behind Moustache
http://www.craftscollection.dk/ the Information Center of Danish Crafts showing a great selection of Danish new talents. Where? H176
http://fourmisbleues.fr/ the beautiful light creations in paper by fourmis bleues. Where ? D108
http://www.alexalixfeld.com/ the great ceramics by Alexa Lixfled who just won the Designpreis Deutschland 2011. Where? M153
http://www.enostudio.net/ the very famous parisian objects editor, which is sold at Merci. Where? G153
http://www.scp.co.uk/ a very nice british brand proposing kind of vintage furniture in nice colours. Where? G157 (in front of Eno)
http://www.agenceartterre.com/fr/ the art terre agency makes ecodesigned furniture which is entirely made in France. Where? K146

I know this is a lot of links, which may be written in the rush the very first night of the fair, but for those who could’nt go to Maison & Objet, be sure I’ll talk  about these designers again with pictures showing better their works! To the others, enjoy the visit!

Chair by Jasper Morrisson for Cappellini

Table called Milk by Portobello decoration

Set of 3 petanque bowls sold by la belle échoppe

Industrial lamp in silicone rubber by Muuto

www.cappellini.it to see the chair named Bac One and launched this year. The various finishing allows very nice combinations with the different woods and coverings in fabric, leather and even linoleum.
www.portobello-decoration.fr for the table. This very nice shop and small editor based in the Parisian Marais sells fabrics, make curtains on demand and above all design very nice exclusive furniture: table, sofa and small seats that you can customize with the fabric you want.
www.labellechoppe.fr for the petanque set. A wink to summer which is not yet over and this new online store promoting the “Made in France”. Open few months ago by the very talented creators of the brand FrenchTrotters, no doubt that this store will soon be a reference.
www.muuto.com for the lamp and the various creations of this Danish editor that always surprises us with its bright colors and minimal lines at affordable price. A miracle!