The new Larose Guyon studio in Verchères, a picturesque village on the banks of the St. Lawrence River near Montreal, has a special energy. A look inside the new space – a place to create, a place to live.

The studio

Tucked away in a quiet village neighbourhood, the Larose Guyon lighting design studio includes a machining and assembly shop, a kitchen big enough for the whole team and a playroom for visiting kids. A lounge for relaxation and informal meetings stimulates creativity and helps team members bond. From graphic design to photo shoots, Larose Guyon puts creation at the centre of everything they do. The on-site photo studio was created to showcase the company’s products, but it is also made available to local artists, whose creative input helps inspire Larose Guyon’s artistic vision.

At the core of the studio’s creative process are a team and a production line made magical by Félix Guyon and Audrée Larose. “We wanted to do justice to our team members by creating a space that amplifies their hard work,” explains Félix.

Everything is hand-assembled with special care and surgical precision. Larose Guyon’s specialized team does everything possible to achieve superior quality. “We don’t aim for large-scale production. Instead, we look to make every handmade piece a member of the family. Sometimes it isn’t easy to part with our creations!” adds Audrée with a laugh.

ICFF 2018

In 2016 and 2017, Larose Guyon stood out with their dazzling booth at the prestigious ICFF design fair in New York, and made the front page of the ICFF official website both years. Larose Guyon will of course be participating for a third year in 2018.

Larose Guyon unveiled their most recent collection, Perle, last May at ICFF 2017. The collection offers three fixtures of different sizes as elegant and distinctive as the studio’s first collection, only with a more sculptural and versatile side. Inspired by the romantic world of jewellery, the collection is handcrafted with a delicate metal structure and 1, 2 or 3 hand-blown glass balls – the Pearls.

The company is preparing something special for ICFF 2018. Its next booth will be twice as big, with a more theatrical look. Audrée and Félix will also introduce their new collection, which they describe as “our most poetic and magical yet.”
 

Living in Verchères vs. going international

Larose Guyon’s village lifestyle is free of big-city hassles, and full of inspiration from the river and the countryside, but it’s no obstacle to international success. It has even become one of the company’s trademarks. Félix Guyon is descended from a long line of Verchères craftsmen, dating back to the 18^th century. “Although our evolution may be a bit slower than if our studio were in NYC, we’re more than happy with our village, and it has become an integral part of Larose Guyon’s DNA.” After only a year and a half, Larose Guyon has participated in amazing projects in world-class cities like London, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Moscow, Singapore and Melbourne.

Through an alliance with Twentieth, the renowned Los Angeles showroom, collaborations with CTO Lighting in London and projects with acclaimed architectural firms like Meyer Davis and the Rockwell Group, the Larose Guyon team has quickly carved out an enviable niche in the exclusive world of high-end lighting design.

About Larose Guyon

Audrée Larose and Félix Guyon’s union goes beyond their business venture and personal life. They see themselves as the perfect synergy between energy and its channelling. “We often tell people that the two of us are like a laser – I’m an explosion of creative energy and Audrée is a funnel, focusing it in a beam,” says Félix Guyon.

After a lifetime of being pushed toward creativity in their respective family environments, two years ago Audrée and Félix finally launched their first collection together, aptly named La Belle Époque. Boasting many years of experience in interior design and architecture, they set out on a course that led them from Montreal to London, Nantes and New York, pushing back the limits of their craft to present some unique pieces. From their new workshop, they are now working on models that will go beyond what they’ve done before.