Etienne Rayssac

Contemporary meets classical

• Etienne trained in the fine arts
• He enjoys collaborating with other artisans
• He works on historical monuments to luxury interior design

After training at the Bordeaux Arts Academy, the Ecole Boulle design school, and La Grande Chaumière art school, Etienne Rayssac then spent 11 years at the Fancelli Père studio studying and restoring historic monuments and rooms that decorate France’s castles. He then successfully founded his own workshop and now enjoys both small and large-scale projects with National Heritage sites, private luxury clients, and renowned designers. Although his early training was strictly classical, he has worked in Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and a variety of contemporary styles. “I don’t mind combining the classic with modern materials and techniques. I like the back and forth, it’s very enriching.”

Interview

©Etienne Rayssac

©Etienne Rayssac

Why did you choose your profession?

I was born in Versailles, and my mother took me for walks in the Versailles gardens. As the story goes, I pointed at the castle and said, “That’s what I will do.” And I love the work. Being able to transform an idea into something tangible is pure magic.

What do you love most about your work?

I love all the different phases: discussions with the client, the research, the moment of production when the idea finally becomes tangible, and also, of course, that special period of time spent finalising by hand all the small details.

How do you conduct your research?

I’m so lucky to be in Paris, first of all with its wealth of libraries and monuments, which I use a lot for my research. And I also have an immense library of my own on interior design, books on styles and creators. I use all the resources I can.

What advice would you give younger artisans?

Get as much training and as many skills as you can. I’m still training. The challenge in our field is that it’s not one craft but five or six. So keep studying and training: drawing, modelling, woodcutting, knowledge of materials. An artisan needs a complete toolkit.

Etienne Rayssac is a master artisan: he began his career in 1980 and he started teaching in 1992

Works

©Atelier Rayssac

©Atelier Rayssac

©Maison Cartier

©Atelier Rayssac

©Atelier Rayssac

Where