In our crazy, messy, busy lives, in our days of constantly pushing on the gas pedal, there is a special kind of meditation found in looking at an object that was made by hand. All the details, all the intricacies—they seem to slow the passing of time.
It is a serenity amplified when viewing the cabinets of Moissonnier: the smooth wood, the swirling carved embellishments, the ornate handles, the colourfully painted scenes. Seeing a Moissonnier piece up close is necessary to comprehend it, and to appreciate the beauty of taking the time—no matter how long—to do something right. To do something by hand.
That magical feeling is one that designers and architects Mana and Nader Mobargha are banking on with their new showroom dedicated to the French company; the 3,000-square-foot Yaletown space is Moissonnier’s first showroom in North America. Really, all a prospective customer has to do to fall in love with a piece is to get close to it. “That’s very important when it’s a product like this which is handmade: to see, to touch,” says Moissonnier directrice générale Christine Duval, who flew in from Paris to attend the showroom’s opening. “That makes all the difference.”
The Yaletown space—which also features mirrors and chandeliers by Arte Veneziana, porcelain from Bernardaud, planters by Le Chêne Vert, books from Assouline, outdoor furniture from Gervasoni, and tiles by Carocim—is divided up into different rooms, with each setup showcasing the versatility of Moissonnier. The “office” is more masculine, with darker wood tones and greens, while the “dining room” is more feminine, more airy and light, with accents of gold. The goal is to give people a sense of what they can do, what they can dream up for their own pieces. “When you go to Hermès, you can customize your bag. It’s what the clients are expecting,” says Duval. “Luxury is in the details.”
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