L’Atelier Singulier

Céline Alata

France

For several years now, shopping has taken a whole new turn with the appearance of concept stores¬ – shops with a certain charm that convey a particular identity and a style.

These new and inspiring places flourish in big cities, to the great delight of both shopping aficionados and those in search of authenticity and new discoveries, as the selection of products in these shops is often refined and original.
Today we invite you to discover L'Atelier Singulier – a Parisian concept store in its own right and where the art of living is king. Follow us into this loft of exposed beams, be inspired under this glass bathed in natural light, and come dream with us before these objects that all tell a story.

Flashback - September 2016

After spending a year traveling across France, Stephanie and Margaux are launching their project. One year is all the time they needed to get to know the values and know-how of our craftsmen. They sought and found rare pearls – real personalities capable of unparalleled handiwork. They had this desire to share their love and passion for beautiful things, and it was with this love will that they chose to begin. Seven craftsmen specialising in seven materials: wood, leather, pottery, metal, glass, stone, paper and textiles. Once back in Paris, eyes full of stars and bags full of treasures, they started an online crowdfunding campaign. In less than two days, the goal was already almost reached! The Atelier Singulier was born a few months later, in December 2016, and since then this fantastic spot has been the talk of the town.

Nestled in the heart of the 11^th arrondissement of Paris, hidden in a shady backyard, space comes alive. Literally.
The second you’re through the door, the vast volumes allow the collections to breathe. Like an art gallery, we discover a simple and refined scenography that delicately exposes the objects’ beauty, like treasures. And yet they are everyday objects: cups, cutlery, vases ... Stéphanie tells us: "We noticed that more and more people are trying to change their patterns of consumerism by buying less, but buying better. There is a real return to origins, a need for authenticity on the consumer’s part, who nowadays prefers to indulge in a beautiful piece from a small craftsman rather than buying mass-produced and soulless products. Only, we found that craftsmanship is often synonymous with a hefty price tag, and that this can easily be a deterrent. With L'Atelier Singulier, we wanted to prove that it is possible to find French handmade crafts at a reasonable price, and that responsible consumerism is accessible to all."

L’Atelier Singulier's collections focus mainly on tableware: Stéphanie and Margaux have taken care to select a range of functional objects that can be thoroughly enjoyed every day. A far cry from a materialistic way of life, this new way of consuming comes from a desire to surround oneself with beautiful things and, in a way, to improve one’s daily life while advocating French craftsmanship. By carefully choosing a piece from L’Atelier Singulier, we also get a little bit of the personality of the artist who conceived and created it for us.

In this way, we discover timeless pieces, manufactured in very small quantities and with classical finishes such as marble effects and solid, intense colours, but also contemporary and more graphic styles, like speckled ink – a manual process almost impossible to reproduce with a machine. Once placed side by side, all these objects radiate a certain harmony and complement each other perfectly.

Some collections are even produced exclusively. The ceramist, artist and sculptor Grégoire Scalabre created his Volt cup and entrusted it to L’Atelier Singulier: an everyday essential graced with smooth and perfect lines. Savouring the elegant flavours within is a real ode to the pleasure one dreams of possessing. Thus, each object is thought of as a gift to offer or to be offered. They are not "just a cup" or "just a dish"; they are pieces rich in meaning and emotion, that can also be displayed as objects of decoration.

Today – September 2017 Almost one year on from its opening, L’Atelier Singulier offers no fewer than 200 unique pieces, dreamed up by the collective’s group of around 20 French craftspeople. But gradually, the collections will empty bit by bit as L’Atelier Singulier is preparing itself for new horizons. A new authentic setting will soon host its collections, but still in Paris and in the heart of a neighbourhood full of promises. It is with great impatience that we await the end of the year to find out its new address.