Bespoke
Where your vision meets our savoir-faire
Bespoke
At Maison Charles, a bespoke commission is an act of creation: born of an emotion, shaped through conversation and brought to life by bronze artisans whose skills have been passed down from one generation to the next for more than a century. Bronze imposes no limits on form. It melts and cools; it yields to chasing, polishing and patination. It can accommodate the most finely drawn line as readily as the most elaborate relief. Every piece leaving the atelier bears the imprint of the hands that shaped it, and of the time taken to bring it into being. From a one-off lamp to a large-scale project, whether for a private residence, a townhouse, a yacht, a palace, a boutique or a scenographic installation, Charles approaches each commission in keeping with its ambition.
The Conversation
Every project begins with a shared understanding of the space, the light, the scale and the intention behind it. Whether adapting an existing design as a semi-bespoke commission or conceiving one or more entirely new pieces, this first conversation sets the direction. It helps…
Every project begins with a shared understanding of the space, the light, the scale and the intention behind it. Whether adapting an existing design as a semi-bespoke commission or conceiving one or more entirely new pieces, this first conversation sets the direction. It helps determine the piece’s principal material -bronze, brass or stainless steel - as well as its secondary materials - glass, alabaster, rock crystal... and establishes the project’s emotional register.
The Design
The vision takes shape on paper. The design office assesses the technical constraints and develops the idea through drawings, refining proportions and details in close collaboration with the client until every line is resolved. At Charles, technical expertise always serves a…
The vision takes shape on paper. The design office assesses the technical constraints and develops the idea through drawings, refining proportions and details in close collaboration with the client until every line is resolved. At Charles, technical expertise always serves a creative vision.
The Prototype
A three-dimensional model is sculpted by hand - in wax, wood or plaster, depending on the complexity of the piece - giving the design its first physical form. It is a decisive moment: the piece can now be held and examined.
The Casting
The prototype moves to the foundry. Sand casting, a technique practised for centuries, is used to create a mould directly from its form. Bronze or brass, heated to more than 1,000°C, is then poured into it. For pieces requiring exceptional fineness, Charles uses lost-wax casting…
The prototype moves to the foundry. Sand casting, a technique practised for centuries, is used to create a mould directly from its form. Bronze or brass, heated to more than 1,000°C, is then poured into it. For pieces requiring exceptional fineness, Charles uses lost-wax casting, a highly precise process also used in fine jewellery. As the metal cools, the piece is ready for the Maison Charles artisans to work.
The Savoir-Faire
The piece comes to life in the hands of the artisans. Casting, fettling, seam removal, chasing, turning, assembly, polishing and patination: each creation passes through a succession of time-honoured processes, handed down from one generation to the next for more than a century…
The piece comes to life in the hands of the artisans. Casting, fettling, seam removal, chasing, turning, assembly, polishing and patination: each creation passes through a succession of time-honoured processes, handed down from one generation to the next for more than a century.
Chasing, the living heart of the Maison, is where raw metal becomes expressive. Using chasing punches, tracers, matting punches, riffler files, hammers and other tools - many forged in the atelier itself - the chaser works every decorative detail, giving the piece its refinement, relief and character. For certain creations, new tools are made to measure. The turner, fitter, polisher and finishers then take up the work. This is where attention to detail is shaped.
The Finishes
The Maison has one of the most extensive repertoires of finishes in the art-bronze tradition, from the most traditional to the most contemporary. Fine-gold gilding, silvering, fire patinas, medal patinas, lacquers and gold-leaf finishes are mastered by a handful of artisans…
The Maison has one of the most extensive repertoires of finishes in the art-bronze tradition, from the most traditional to the most contemporary. Fine-gold gilding, silvering, fire patinas, medal patinas, lacquers and gold-leaf finishes are mastered by a handful of artisans around the world. Working with flame, oxides and pigments, they give bronze its final character.
Once the finish has been selected and applied, the piece is reassembled. It then undergoes a final inspection before being carefully packed and accompanied by a Charles Certificate of Authenticity. It is ready to leave the atelier.
{ Discover our Finishes & Patinas }
To discuss a project, arrange a visit to the atelier or receive guidance with a commission, the Charles team is at your service.
