Luxe et al are delighted to announce that Jallu Ebénistes have been shortlisted for Wallcovering Award in The International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2018.
Straw Marquetry is one of the great French Decorative art finishes and Jallu Ebénistes are proud to be keeping the tradition alive. All of their work is handcrafted in their workshop in Brittany, France, using the same techniques handed down through generations. The straw is harvested in France in the early summer and in the fall. The straw is dyed and every year the colours are different, making each piece unique.
When the straw arrives in our workshop each piece is opened, pressed, cut and then glued by hand by the talented team of craftsmen. Jallu Ebénistes, are one of the only ateliers in Europe that create the furniture and/or build the wall panels and apply the straw marquetry finish on site. The designers provide straw marquetry panels by the square metre; large straw panels are made in sections and can be assembled and installed on site by the designers or a qualified cabinetmaker.
Straw Marquetry is not an appropriate material for flooring or wet areas, or table tops without protection. This is a decorative finish that is sustainable but it is also an ancient technique that they are keeping alive into the 21st century. The technique has not changed in hundreds of years and is 100% made by hand, no machines are used. The designer’s favourite aspect is said to be that the Straw Marquetry is full of contradictions, the material is fragile yet durable, its shimmery brilliance is impossible to replicate.
The artisans in the straw marquetry team have received special training in marquetry and also train them for the technique in their atelier. Straw Marquetry is simple but deceptively complicated, easy to learn but difficult to master, and very labour intensive. It requires a very steady hand and a lot of patience.