Press kit - Press release - Vanity #1 - Martine Brisson designer d'intérieur

Vanity #1

Montreal, Canada

Martine Brisson designer d’intérieur

Montreal, Canada, 2014-01-30 –

“My starting point was the old drawing of a piece of furniture from the 1920s. My purpose was to extract its essence and to find its first pencil stroke, to strip it down to its naked body, all the way through to the skeleton of the original drawing. I wanted to represent the strength of the structure whilst preserving its frail and elegant lines. To do so, I had to find the appropriate material, one that would translate the simplicity of the project, and I found that metal was the best medium. With its brute force, the lightness of the line and its simplicity could be kept as well as the origins of my concept. It was also necessary to find the good calibration, not too thick in order to avoid losing the lightness desired yet strong enough to support the weight of several types of plateau. It was important to find the right balance and to allow the plateau to work towards supporting itself.”

The plateau of the ‘coiffeuse’ gives the whole character to the piece of furniture; with a panel of wengé, the piece echoes the desk of an Englishman, whilst a colored panel of lacquer rings of Circassian’s vanity.

The main challenge was to insure the skeleton of the piece remained the same regardless of its dress, to keep a fine and elegant silhouette not unlike that of a praying mantis.

About Martine Brisson

Martine Brisson’s unusual career path has given her an approach to space that sometimes has more to do with architecture than interior design. Before she becomes involved with the content of the space, she concentrates on the envelope that defines it. “I like to create boxes, like jewel boxes, that my clients can arrange in their own image.”

Before engaging in training as an interior designer, Brisson began her professional life as a lyric soprano. It was during her international tours that she cultivated her talent for design and her love of architecture and spaces. “I always had a little notebook and a pencil so I could sketch the places I visited,” she recalls. After working as an on-stage artist, she became a fashion designer and opened a women’s clothing boutique in Montreal. A few collections later, she launched her career as an interior designer.

From her artistic and creative experiences, Brisson has taken a taste for simple, human-oriented spaces. “Rather than strike the imagination,” she notes, “a space has to make people feel good.” Thus, instead of imposing her own style, she tries to understand the tastes and needs of her clients and offer them a virgin space in which they will be able to express themselves. “My clients bring me their music score, and I’m the orchestra conductor.”

Fiche technique

Official name of the product: Vanity #1
Material: wenge and metal
Metal treatment: JP Transfert
Size: 48’’x24’’
Designer: Martine Brisson
Photographer: Dominique Malaterre
Media contact: Martine Brisson 514.508.5801

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