Régis Mathieu, designer and publisher of chandeliers, collaborates with Les Maisons Airelles
Entrusted with creating a new edition of light fixtures for the famous Hall of Mirrors, Mathieu Lustrerie, an “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant”, also works for Airelles Collection.
The family enterprise is associated with the art of lighting. How do you perpetuate its expertise?
We see ourselves as being at the service of chandeliers. When my father created the firm in 1948, their sole purpose was lighting. While orienting Mathieu Lustrerie towards historic monuments, chandeliers retrieved their letters of nobility and were again seen as prestigious objects.
Tell us about your partnership with Airelles.
At Château de La Messardière, we created contemporary chandeliers made of rock crystal for the Japanese restaurant, Matsuhisa. At Les Airelles, we have carried out work halfway between creation and the restitution of old items by adapting historic chandeliers to suit the proportions of Les Chalets des Airelles. We have also produced new editions of period chandeliers for Le Grand Contrôle while retaining the details that make all the difference. We take great pride in contributing to the Airelles experience with our creations.
Tell us more about your work at Le Grand Contrôle?
We created 500 light fixtures for this hotel, mobilizing about 30 artists and craftsmen for almost two years. The lighting reproduces that of the hotel de Versailles identically, thanks to our patented LED bulbs which recreate the halo and colour of a real flame. Total immersion in an 18th-century atmosphere!
Your workshops are located in the former ochre factory in Gargas. What is your relationship with Provence?
I live in the family home in Apt, near Gordes. Our Southern workshops (Editor’s Note – Les Ateliers Mathieu Lustrerie are also housed in the Hôtel de la Marine in Paris) occupy an area of 5,000 sq.m on over 7.5 acres of land, entirely dedicated to chandeliers. A unique place where we have created a museum and a library to pass on our knowledge to the public. At Christmas, we organize nocturnal exhibitions that are sheer magic and meet with great success throughout the region.
