November 20, 2020

Text: Quinn Halman

The Brooklyn Home Company Presents First Ever Installation of Guillerme et Chambron’s Votre Maison Furnishings

The unique credenza, standing lamp, couch, and chairs reflect the precise yet playful nature of Guillerme et Chambron’s creations. Photography by Matthew Williams.

In the heart of Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood, The Brooklyn Home Company, a family-run design collective, has transformed a townhouse into a livable retrospective of wooden works by French designers Robert Guillerme and Jacques Chambron. The duo behind Votre Maison conceived their design studio after meeting in a forced labor camp during World War II. They then worked side-by-side, designing interiors and furniture from the 1950s through the 1970s, drawing on their harrowing experiences at the camps to inform their creation of functional yet playful furnishings that add warmth to the home.  

The wooden pillar on the far left is an original, built-in art piece by Fitzhugh Karol which matches the Guillerme at Chambron clock on the right. Additionally, the kitchen ceiling beams are composed of reclaimed barn wood from a farm in the Finger Lakes. Photography by Matthew Williams. 

Curated by New York-based gallery Maison Gerard and California-based agency frenchCALIFORNIA, the rare collection is the first presentation of Guillerme et Chambron’s work ever. The installation, open by appointment through Jan. 2021, enables visitors to see first-hand the utility and transformative qualities of the duo’s innovative work. The selection of art—including bronze patinated sculptures by Kepa Akixo and Robert Levin’s photography series of Andy Warhol—compliment the various furnishings throughout.

Embedding mosaic tiles into the wooden furniture is one of Guillerme et Chambron’s signature touches. Photography by Matthew Williams. 

Built following the Passive House principles, an air purification system ensures that the environment stays safe and protects the heritage furniture from damage. “The works of Guillerme et Chambron beautifully compliment the design aesthetic of our collective,” says Bill Caleo, co-founder of The Brooklyn Home Company, “and together with Maison Gerard and frenchCALIFORNIA, we have unveiled an inspiring exhibition.”

The lamps throughout, including the sconces here, are being shown without shades, as Maison Gerard will be enlisting multiple designers to present their own take on modernizing the covering with textiles from Dedar. Photography by Matthew Williams.
A bespoke credenza with vertical shelving. Photography by Matthew Williams. 
An ornate wooden sectional with a distinctly low seat. Photography by Matthew Wiliams. 
Atop the French duo’s foldable table, the contemporary ceramic candlesticks are by the Moroccan ceramicist Dbila. Photography by Matthew Williams. 
The whimsical interpretation of both a lamp post and coat rack next to a dresser that requires a special turning sequence to open. Photography by Matthew Williams.

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