Huub Ubbens & Atelier Chartersèn

Studio Ubbens

Huub Ubbens, a Dutch designer born in 1964 and a graduate of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, founded his studio in Milan in 2005, then moved to Montpellier just over 10 years ago. Passionate about his craft, his career between Italy and France has been punctuated by collaborations with some of the finest names in international design. Having worked in Milan for the prestigious Artemide house, where he created the Castore collection in collaboration with Michele De Lucchi as Artistic Director, he also collaborates with Panasonic, Colosio-Arditi, BBB Italia, Danese-Milano, 3M and Castorama, Innobiz and Mum (Mobiler Urbain Muzzarelli).
Through his many encounters and collaborations, Huub Ubbens has forged an old-fashioned, almost militant conception of his profession. His main design inspiration comes from anthropology, transculturation and the art world. A creator of his time, he is also passionate about the fundamental and mythological archetypes that have shaped civilizations. This singular vision guides him ever more towards a design that returns our everyday objects to their primary function of enduring utility. In this way, every object he creates is designed to endure and endure the test of time.
«Objects should in some way be imperfect, because it’s important that we can constantly discover something in them, enabling us to make the object more our own and create a lasting relationship. Above all, this is what I call ecological and sustainable design», he explains. To achieve this, purity, elegance and accessibility are the key words that inspire his creations. No programmed or perceived obsolescence in his approach.

Atelier Chatersèn - Arnaud Mainardi

Atelier Chatersèn, founded by Arnaud Mainardi in 2006, is a craftsman’s workshop specializing in the manufacture of art furniture in raw wood from the forest: home furniture, garden furniture, urban furniture, design accessories and ecological visual identity. The company updates traditional woodworking skills to meet today’s demands. Atelier Chatersèn is committed to keeping alive the skills of the barrel-maker, the itinerant winemaker who fashioned the seats for the homes of yesteryear, the basket-maker who made baskets to transport foodstuffs, the cabinetmaker who made art furniture, and the steam bender who laid the foundations for the industrialization of furniture in 19th-century Europe. All of these trades have contributed to the rich history of handcrafting. Atelier Chatersèn brings these methods up to date and, with all the patience that goes into these tricks of the trade, designs, produces and publishes contemporary, made-to-measure pieces.
Atelier Chatersèn puts its experience at the disposal of the very specific requirements of major international brands for the design of hotels, restaurants, stores and window displays. It is also involved in landscaping the parks and gardens of historic monuments on behalf of local authorities.
Atelier Chatersèn is a certified Artisan d’Art and a member of Ateliers d’Art de France.