Christophe Delcourt’s new furniture for Avenue Road puts wood front and centre
Christophe Delcourt's ‘Woodlane’ furniture collection, staged at Avenue Road’s art deco residence in Miami, demonstrates the French designer’s mastery of the natural material
French designer Christophe Delcourt was asked to completely rearrange Avenue Road's Miami residence to launch his ‘Woodlane’ collection with the boutique furniture producer. Introducing designs from the new offering but also from his pre-existing catalogue of meticulously crafted high-end furniture to almost every room, Delcourt was able to present a singular vision.
The organic contours and roughly hewn textures of his sculptural pieces are juxtaposed with the clean lines of Avenue Road’s pristine art deco residence. A keen sense of sophistication and restraint ties the showcase together, providing potential clients with the ability to imagine how these limited-edition furnishings could be placed within their own homes. Such an experiential display makes sense for the niche luxury market that both Avenue Road and Delcourt have long cultivated.
Christophe Delcourt in Miami: Avenue Road takeover
This intervention is a testament to Delcourt’s partnership with Avenue Road’s co-founder Stephan Weishaupt, which, dating back 15 years, is almost as old as the company itself. The two have a shared passion for artisanal excellence and quality production.
'Christophe’s work stands for authenticity, craft, and humility, values that are intrinsic to our brand,' says Weishaupt. 'Celebrating the “Woodlane” exhibition was an opportunity to highlight his work in an immersive way that we haven’t done with any other talents.'
With the designer having curated Avenue Road’s former Miami showroom in the past, this latest collaboration is the first time he’s been given free rein to transform an entire home. 'I had carte blanche over the totality of the space, the totality of the house,' says Delcourt. 'So effectively, it’s a work that shows how the materials, the forms, and colours resonate together.'
For this showcase, he also selected complementary lighting, accessories, and even artworks from Avenue Road’s full product range and Weishaupt's own collection.
Comprising sofas, tables, chairs, and credenzas, the “Woodlane” series marks an evolution in Delcourt's three decades of practice and career-defying use of wood. Demonstrating a freer approach to form than in his previous 200 or so designs, the new pieces are more rounded and holistic. The ‘NIN‘ table incorporates a base inspired by the growth structure of tree trunks. 'It’s an homage to these essential plants,' Delcourt explains. 'There’s only so much you can do with a tabletop, and so the base provides a lot more to play and experiment with.'
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Reflecting his undying commitment to only using solid woods responsibly sourced from French forests, the pieces also demonstrate the best in French craftsmanship. On view in the home’s dining room, the ‘AFA’ console demonstrates vastly different ways of treating a single type of wood, in this case oak. While the top of the cabinet features a smooth, gouged-brushed surface, other components have been embellished with a hand-chiselled pattern. ‘In 2023, Christophe is still able to elevate a material that is otherwise perceived as common to one that is precious,' Weishaupt notes.
Delcourt’s aim has always been to create furniture that’s a hit today and an heirloom tomorrow. Though his aesthetic has changed over time, his cumulative offering of older and more recently introduced furnishings can be mixed and matched. With a decades-old kitchen table on full display within Avenue Road’s Miami residence, this approach seems to work.
The designer is less concerned with trends and only introduces new concepts or removes old designs from his catalogue when it feels right. Central to his work is the idea that well-made furniture can withstand the test of time and eventually get passed down, which is perhaps the more sustainable type of sustainability.
christophedelcourt.com
avenue-road.com
Adrian Madlener is a Brussels-born, New York-based writer, curator, consultant, and artist. Over the past ten years, he’s held editorial positions at The Architect’s Newspaper, TLmag, and Frame magazine, while also contributing to publications such as Architectural Digest, Artnet News, Cultured, Domus, Dwell, Hypebeast, Galerie, and Metropolis. In 2023, He helped write the Vincenzo De Cotiis: Interiors monograph. With degrees from the Design Academy Eindhoven and Parsons School of Design, Adrian is particularly focused on topics that exemplify the best in craft-led experimentation and sustainability.
-
Inside The Met’s magical ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ exhibition
On the evening of the Met Gala 2024, Wallpaper* takes a tour of The Met’s latest Costume Institute exhibition, ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’, a multi-sensory journey of sight, smell and touch
By Tilly Macalister-Smith Published
-
Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron by Mathieu Lehanneur: 'the object which unites our energies'
Mathieu Lehanneur unveiled his design for the Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron for Paris 2024 as the Torch Relay prepares to make its debut in Marseille on 8 May
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Alternate worlds and end of days: Pierre Huyghe in Venice
Pierre Huyghe delves into dystopia with 'Liminal', at Palazzo Grassi’s Punta della Dogana in Venice
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
A nature-inspired exhibition takes root at California's Salmon Creek Farm
'Jinen' presents new works by Dan John Anderson, Kazunori Hamana, Yu Kobayashi, and Ido Yoshimoto at Fritz Haeg’s cultural commune and creative hub in California’s redwood forest
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Fernanda Dovigi creates a plush Aspen mountain chalet
Fernanda Dovigi’s revamped Aspen mountain chalet brings contemporary art and design to après-ski
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Taxi cabs and pizza boxes: New York icons are reimagined by Paa Joe at Superhouse Gallery
New York’s beloved tokens, from the Statue of Liberty to the classic yellow taxi cab, are reimagined by Paa Joe for Superhouse's inaugural show in New York, ‘Celestial City’
By Julie Baumgardner Published
-
The Future Perfect group show in LA pays homage to JB Blunk’s sculptures
The Future Perfect celebrates late sculptor JB Blunk’s process and aesthetic with the group exhibition ‘Inner Space’ (until 1 May 2024)
By Julie Baumgardner Published
-
Bauhaus master Anni Albers’ groundbreaking collection on view at the Blanton Museum
‘Anni Albers: In Thread and On Paper’ at the Blanton Museum of Art in Ausin, Texas, highlights her shift from weaving to printmaking through works from the last 40 years of her career
By Lauren Jones Published
-
Gallery Fumi makes LA debut with works from Max Lamb, Jeremy Anderson and more
Fumi LA is the London design gallery’s takeover of Sized Studio, marking its first major US show (until 9 March 2024)
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Bay Area exhibition spotlights San Francisco furniture design community
Bay Area furniture design is the subject of ‘Works in Progress’, an exhibition on view at the American Industrial Center in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district until 23 January 2024
By Shonquis Moreno Published
-
The Malin Wedgewood Houston offers a rich, earthy co-working environment
The Malin Wedgewood Houston co-working space opens in Nashville, Tennessee and becomes the fourth and largest location in a thriving portfolio
By Tianna Williams Published