Loïc Bard

Furniture maker | Orchamps, France

Forms that dictate function

Loïc became a furniture maker after a career in agronomy
He exclusively works with solid maple wood
He combines small-scale CNC work with extensive hand shaping

Loïc Bard produces furniture defined by structural clarity and disciplined material use. Trained at Montréal’s École du Meuble after earlier studies in agronomy, he develops each piece from drawings and scale models. "I determine a piece's function only once the structural form is completed," Loïc says. He works exclusively with solid maple, and applies bleach and controlled charring to achieve uniform light or dark surfaces with minimal visual noise and a leather-like surface finish. Loïc's process combines CNC roughing with intricate hand shaping. "My goal is to create durable objects built with a stable performance," he explains.

Interview

©Loic Bard Studio

When did you start your journey with furniture making?: After moving to Montréal, I joined the École du Meuble in 2009 and graduated in 2012. By then, I was committed to making furniture full-time. Since then, I have been working remotely with my apprentice, a French designer-maker with whom I have a strong working relationship. It makes sense for me to move close to him in Besançon, France so that we can grow our practices together.
What shapes your approach?: I am influenced by the clarity of line, repetition and load-bearing forms of buildings and engineered structures. I also pay attention to how an object feels when it is held. In a project I worked on with visually impaired collaborators, I had to design objects that could be understood purely through touch. It made me think more systematically about surfaces and physical cues.
Why do you only work with maple?: It was a practical decision, as maple is affordable and readily available. Bleached, it becomes very pale, and burned, it turns a dry, deep black. The grain remains visible, but the surface takes on a leather-like appearance.
How do you create new pieces?: I start with drawings and scale models to establish a form. I do not decide in advance whether it is a table or a chair. The function comes after the form is established, once the structure makes sense.

Loïc Bard is a master artisan: he began his career in 2009 and he started teaching in 2012