Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 42
Occupation: Co-founder of d’Armes.
Instagram: @studio_darmes
Hometown: Montreal.
Studio location: Morin-Heights, Laurentides, Quebec.
Describe what you make: I research techniques, materials, and craftsmen to create luminaires that arouse emotions of calm and serenity. I bring together a talented team in a common workshop. I like to think of myself as a bandmaster. I’m on a mission to create an inclusive workspace that respects the individuals who use and inhabit it.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: My husband, who’s the co-founder of d’Armes, and I are building a home to welcome foster children for our future family. It’s the most important project I have embarked on!
Describe the problem your work solves: I act in a sphere that is sometimes underestimated: the need for beauty and poetry. I don’t know about you, but it’s essential to me! I sincerely hope to bring feelings of well-being in a lasting and timeless way.
Describe the project you are working on now: I’m working to include glass recycling processes in a new luminaire collection.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: We’re debuting Hyphen, a modular lighting collection, consisting of three pieces: the Hyphen Pendant, Hyphen Table Simple, and Hyphen Table Double. We’re showing this new collection at ICFF.
The name is derived from the ancient Greek ὑφ’ ἕν (huph’ hén), which designates the union of two opposites in one; the warm, soft, and sensitive porcelain and cold, strong, and brilliant steel. Each piece will be available in several materials and finishes, including chromatic black cast steel, blasted black steel cast iron, and matte white porcelain.
Hyphen’s curved luminaires can be used for hanging or standing. Hanging, the Hyphen collection’s two cylindrical bodies are joined by a pivot that offers several light positions and orientations projecting a soft directional light. Standing, Hyphen is deployed in one or two parts that can be arranged in multiple ways thanks to a support system that perfectly fits their shapes and features built-in touch dimmers for ease of use.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Closing my laptop and doing activities with the team. And of course disco music!
What you do when you’re not working: Building our home, hiking, and any type of outdoor sports! We live in an area with a lot of nature so outdoor sports, such as hiking, kayaking, and skiing are everywhere.
Sources of creative envy: Pasolini, Christiane Tobira, Bertrand Belin.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Communicating with people not directly is a big distraction for me. E-mail, text messages, social media, etc. We really should take our time to talk with people in person!
Concrete or marble? Concrete.
High-rise or townhouse? High-rise.
Remember or forget? Forget.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.
Dark or light? Light.
