How to dress your home, according to Louis Vuitton
The French luxury brand makes a stylish statement about what homeware should be with the launch of its extensive new Home Collections
WHEN YOU HAVE ACCESS TO the very best materials and craftsmanship, plus a long history of creating innovative objects of desire, the natural path forward is to expand that universe. And that is exactly what Louis Vuitton is doing.
The French luxury brand that transformed the art of travel with the creation of its first trunks declared its intentions at Milan Design Week in April with its new, showstopping Home Collections. An all-encompassing lifestyle universe that stretches from a sculptural sofa and stately sideboard to whimsical games, it goes far beyond the bold, limited edition Objets Nomades pieces it has been creating with world-renowned designers since 2012.
Louis Vuitton Home Collections is made up of five pillars: Objets Nomades; the new Signature Collection of furniture and lighting; Decorative Objects, comprising textiles and smaller decorative pieces; Tableware; and Exceptional Gaming.
With this comprehensive range, those who appreciate the maison’s savoir-faire when it comes to fashion can now enjoy the same sensibilities in the home. Here’s a look at what’s available.
Signature Collection
For those who have always wondered what it would be like living Louis Vuitton, its new furniture and lighting range is the perfect place to start. Inspired by the maison’s codes, leading designers marry contemporary aesthetics with Louis Vuitton’s distinctive style to birth pieces that display a clever interplay between graphic designs, textures and outstanding finishes.
From modular sofas and chairs to buffets and tables, the collection is complete and harmonious, so the home can be dressed with furniture that subtly reinterprets the brand’s DNA. There are iconic materials, such as leather and wood, as well as a custom selection ranging from exquisite fabrics and precious woods, to onyx and marquetry.
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For this Signature Collection, Louis Vuitton collaborated for the first time with French designer Patrick Jouin, and Argentinian artist and designer Cristian Mohaded. Jouin brings sophistication, comfort and excellence to his tables, armchairs, sideboards and sofas, with the pieces capturing a quiet sense of beauty, joy and serenity.
Case in point: his sleek Perfecto armchair bound in leather upholstery, and dressed with a zipper and a golden padlock – a nod to the maison’s couture techniques and heritage travel trunk.
Meanwhile, rising star Mohaded has parlayed his passion for minimal and archetypal forms, penchant for colour and quality materials, as well as his Latin American roots, into sculptural pieces enhanced with details such as stitches, graphic elements and trunk-making artistry.
Made with a blend of onyx and travertine, his Atlas table is a statuesque statement that artfully traces Louis Vuitton’s Monogram diamond on its diaphanous top, the substantial size gracefully supported by tri-faceted legs.
In addition, Milan-based Atelier Biagetti and Patricia Urquiola, both previous collaborators on Objets Nomades, also introduced new creations, alongside others by LV Studio.
Decorative Objects, Tableware and Exceptional Gaming
A home is not complete until the smaller – but just as essential – decorative items are in place.
For its Decorative Objects, Louis Vuitton has unveiled a number of items which are not only beautifully made with top-quality materials, but also cleverly designed and functional.
In his first partnership with the maison, Spanish designer Jaime Hayon devised a set of small, high-quality objects – boxes, candleholders and trays – that reflect his colourful, graphic style, as well as his ingenuity. His Botanik collection, for instance, is a variety of leather-covered ceramic boxes whose lids can be turned into trinket trays or candleholders.
Mohaded, meanwhile, has created several textile designs as well as vases and centrepieces, blending Louis Vuitton’s aesthetics with intense hues rooted in his Latin culture.
Milanese design icon Urquiola also contributes, with decorative objects that showcase the maison’s leather savoir-faire, including vases in coloured glass clad in woven natural leather, and leather trinket trays which blossom like spring flowers reminiscent of Louis Vuitton’s Monogram flower.
When it comes to Tableware, expect an elevated dining experience with Louis Vuitton’s several collections. The floral motifs of the Asnieres line were inspired by the Art Nouveau stained-glass windows in the Vuitton family home in Asnieres-sur-Seine, near Paris. The Jungle collection, crafted by the Milan-based ceramist Laboratorio Paravicini from hand-painted drawings, features exotic animals in lush vegetation, enhanced with gold-leaf details.
Then there is artistry in the form of Japanese designer Nendo’s minimalist Kagebana tableware featuring glazed ceramics in a deep black – produced using a special Japanese technique.
A fun and very interesting addition to the Louis Vuitton Home Collections is its line of Exceptional Games – where coming together to play has found new expression. But why exceptional? By virtue of their design, top-quality materials and superior craftsmanship, of course.
Examples include the pop vibe-infused silver chrome pinball machine, and the most elegant games table ever. The latter is a multipurpose table in solid wood that’s completely wrapped in supple leather for a sense of sensuality and luxury that will change your game of chess or mahjong forever.
The above categories make for great gifts as well, opening up another possibility to spark joy in Louis Vuitton fans.
Objets Nomades, a dream trunk and a fitting tribute
This year, the maison’s collaboration with Estudio Campana has resulted in two new pieces added to the Cocoon Couture series of perforated fibreglass shell seats lined with calfskin.
Other limited edition items include the Kaleidoscope cabinet with leather marquetry in blue, and a cheekily reimagined foosball (table football) where the players have been turned into little mermaids.
For the consummate host though, here is the ultimate prize – a magnificent trunk specifically crafted to house and transport every Louis Vuitton Art of Dining collection comprising porcelain, cutlery, glasses and decanters. Made for connoisseurs of exceptional tableware, the meticulously designed Malle Vaisselier is a centrepiece that is covered with the iconic Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas, lined with microfibre and finished with golden metallic accents.
Finally, to mark the occasion of the Home Collections launch, Louis Vuitton is paying tribute to the late Italian graphic artist Fortunato Depero with futuristic textile and tableware creations. Likewise, it honours Charlotte Perriand with the release of unique textiles from the French architect and designer.
With its new and varied Home Collections, Louis Vuitton has positioned itself as a tastemaker in the world of home design, and shows just how comfortable it is delivering a sublime experience in the home, as it does in the wardrobe.
The maison may have taken its time to craft its homeware universe, but we’re sure glad it’s finally landed.
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