Régis Mathieu, Lighting's maestro

Mathieu, at the head of Mathieu Lustrerie since 1992, knows better than anyone about the life of a chandelier, from workmanship to preservation. The family firm focuses on their design, restoration and production. Mathieu’s watchwords are “luxury, tradition and modernity”. The popularity of the chandelier these days is more about decoration and ambiance than lighting, acknowledges Mathieu. And his commissions have included work for Hermès, Christian Lacroix, Chanel, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, as well as for several historical monuments. The Petit Trianon, a nine-meter-tall chandelier for Philadelphia’s Music Academy, chateau Maisons-Lafitte are all recent projects. The firm’s work in restoration gives it an edge when it comes to creating replicas. Always on the look-out for the finest materials, Mathieu is also meticulous about the electrical elements, developing “bougies Mathieu,” special, patented bulbs (www.arterolux.com/client) to recreate the atmosphere of candlelit evenings of the past. A favorite activity is designing contemporary models. This isn’t inconsistent with his passion for models from other eras: “My generation still has to make its mark, come up with designs that will stand the test of time and become a part of History.”

© Sylvie Fraissard