The life of a studio often remains secret. While it is of course necessary to balance collaborations with decorators and interior architects and the design of new collections, overseeing those in production requires particular attention, sought after by many artisans.
Text by Marielle Brie de Lagerac
Art and Object Historian
“YMER&MALTA demands technical excellence—that is what I value most.”
Working alongside the studio for several years, a renowned cabinetmaker who prefers to remain anonymous enjoys the privilege of selecting his clientele. Over time, his professional relationship with Valerie Maltaverne, the studio’s director, has evolved into one built on trust and friendship. This emulation between Valérie and this artisan is grounded in their shared commitment to excellence and their constant pursuit of the perfect piece, a dedication the artisan acknowledges with respect:
“The requests from the YMER&MALTA studio are always a technical challenge. Every piece, from bespoke commissions to new designs by Valérie, such as the Eagles table, demands a high level of technical expertise. They are invariably complex works that require considerable time. My role is to determine how to make them. Finding solutions is always an opportunity for a technical tour de force. YMER&MALTA demands technical excellence and refinement, that is what I enjoy most.”
Issues of time, so prevalent in contemporary design production, are brushed aside by the studio. Creating pieces rooted in French savoir-faire of the highest caliber requires taking time, something Valérie Maltaverne fully understands. From the sampling phase through to final finishes, YMER&MALTA offers artisans what they are almost always denied: time. Time to reflect, to experiment, to create.
“The sampling phase is revealing of how the studio operates. Each preliminary model is assembled, veneered, and varnished to gain a clear and accurate understanding of how the selected woods will express themselves. No one other than Valérie Maltaverne asks me to work this way. She goes to great lengths to find exactly what is needed, I have rarely seen such dedication. Few designers aspire to reach this level of quality. We are able to express ourselves with noble materials, and we have the time to do so.”
M., Cabinetmaker
Matthieu B., the cabinetmaker commissioned for the fallenTree bench, shares the same observation. He has lost count of the hours spent with Valérie exchanging ideas, testing, and refining, until achieving the perfect balance between the majestic branches of robust oak and the borosilicate seat, light, almost invisible.
“Collaborating with YMER&MALTA means combining my craftsmanship with the demands of design. Each piece becomes a challenge, an evolution of my expertise.”
Matthieu B., Cabinetmaker
“By working for YMER&MALTA, we create pieces that will endure, that will leave a mark on the history of furniture.”
An upholsterer and trimmer, Olivier worked on several upholstered pieces from The Great Lady collection. He speaks to the unique, reciprocal relationship the studio maintains with its artisans:
“I have always enjoyed working with YMER&MALTA because Valérie always arrives with a unique project, something never seen before. Not only do we create pieces that will stand the test of time and mark the history of furniture, but Valérie constantly engages with artisans. There is exchange, there is dialogue.”
Olivier, upholsterer
From this open and straightforward relationship between the studio and its artisans emerge pieces imbued with a shared determination to do one’s utmost, to achieve a form of perfection. Each creation radiates the serenity of long timeframes, a graceful, elegant sprezzatura, fully aware of the excellence inherent in its nature. The timeless appeal of YMER&MALTA’s creations is undeniably the result of these singular relationships, patiently cultivated by the studio in close and continual collaboration with its artisans.
