Bruno de Maistre

Les Ateliers BdM, Créations et Ebénisterie d’art

Cabinetmaker

©Bazil Hamard

©Bruno de Maistre

©Bazil Hamard

©Bruno de Maistre

Finding joy in woodworking

Bruno started his career in advertising
He studied woodworking at the age of 30
He set up BdM in 2011, a year after graduating

Bruno de Maistre isn’t your typical craftsman: having worked in communication and advertising for several years, he decided at the age of 30 to go back to school to study cabinetmaking. He was motivated by a longing to reconnect with manual work and creativity, an aspect he describes as the core element of his DNA. Working with exceptional products and materials is a joy he experiences now daily, as well as the encounters with people and the opportunity to use the communication skills he developed in his previous career. This duality gives him the chance to experience the full process of creating objects and discussing them with other people, whether clients for a bespoke piece, or other craftspeople to develop their art by collaborating on new topics.

Interview

©Bazil Hamard

©Bruno de Maistre

What brought you to cabinetmaking?: My gut! I was missing something in my career as an advertising creative. I discovered manual work and reconnected with myself, I was completely in tune with all my abilities by working with my hands. I couldn't see any other profession but this one.
When did you open your own workshop?: Right after finishing my studies. I couldn't find a workshop suitable for someone like me, already older and undergoing retraining, and at the same time I found clients instead of employers. I have an entrepreneurial streak, so I set up my own workshop in 2011.
Do you remember the first object you made?: It was before my training, I made a table that folds to 40 centimetres and goes up to 340 centimetres. It was for my wife and I, and a friend told me he wanted the same one. Since then, I haven't stopped making them. It's something I do on a regular basis.
What do you love most about your profession?: There isn’t just one side, I like being alone in the workshop, getting into the material, which I was missing before, but I also need encounters with others to feed my creativity. Crafting and communicating with clients are two aspects which I enjoy balancing.

Bruno de Maistre is a master artisan: he began his career in 2011 and he started teaching in 2016