Both in the city and on the stage, Charlotte Janos Courson and Nicolas Courson founded their creation and design studio in 2019. Maison Courson offers sculptural furniture and accessories, intended for both retail and individuals.
Passionate about architecture, places of character and design since always, Nicolas Courson set up 20000 Lieux almost thirty years ago, a rental agency with exceptional addresses for cinema and events. In 2017, he embarked on design by creating Daytime Paris, a furniture rental company. ” I wanted to take the opposite view of what is done for rent, by offering long-lasting furniture that suits me and does not look like others. » And because Nicolas dares to launch himself, from the status of entrepreneur, he goes to that of designer because he cannot find what he likes on the market.
From place to object
It is with his wife Charlotte that he signs the creations of the house. Both self-taught, the couple entered the design world through the back door, but with passion and determination. With a ceramist mother and a sculptor stepfather, Nicolas has a sharp plastic sensitivity and artistic references that are sources of inspiration. Intended initially for pop-up stores and ephemeral events, the Inox and Brass line consists of minimalist metal racks, mirrors and displays, as its name suggests. The lines are all in lightness and balance, worked in the image of jewels, in a nod in particular to the work of Fausto Melotti. The technical constraints are considered in collaboration with handpicked craftsmen. And it is moreover this collection, added to a line of stands and displays in Carrara marble, which was offered at the last Maison & Objet show.
From wave to sculpture
It will be understood, the Courson binomial does not dissociate private life and work. Emeritus surfer, Nicolas likes not only sliding but also the object itself. “I didn’t understand why we didn’t use the technique of making surfboards to make something else, it’s such a beautiful object!” He draws the line Resin , a collection that is as functional as it is aesthetic, made with the same techniques used by shapers (surfboard shapers). “No shaper wanted to leave their comfort zone to make anything other than surfboards. It was difficult to find a craftsman, but today we work hand in hand with a workshop near Biarritz where we live.”
A wooden base or a worked polypropylene honeycomb plate is covered with fiberglass, then with various layers of resin, before being polished. The glaze then brings depth and shine to the whole. This type of manufacturing takes time: drying, storage, temperature stability, three to four months are needed to produce a piece. Even more technically, a textile used in the automotive industry can cover certain parts. It hardens at the same time as the resin layers. Generally hidden, this fabric is in the spotlight, available in deep blue or green. With the light, the drops and puddles of resin placed on the ground look like liquid gold.
From sculpture to nature
Much more dreamlike, the next series from Maison Courson pays homage to nature, with some references to Jean Royère. We are going to launch lights, clothes racks that look like landscapes, branches that give the impression of being made with nothing, but for a beautiful result.
Cecile Papapietro-Matsuda
