L’Oeil Vintage, the Manifesto of <br> Christophe Collado

L’Oeil Vintage, the Manifesto of
Christophe Collado

L’Oeil Vintage, already on the point of becoming an institution in Lyon, is one of those hybrid places, half way between a gallery of contemporary art and a vintage emporium, where a must-have buy is never far away. As someone who’s always had a passion for Scandinavian furniture of the fifties and sixties, Christophe Collado is always on the look-out for new items and offers an original and timeless selection that will delight those with an eye for vintage. L’Oeil Vintage, but more besides. The contemporary art that Christophe intends to democratise features prominently there. Exhibitions and previews are held throughout the year. The perfect opportunity to discover works by emerging local artists. Today, we are exploring this world through a behind-the-scenes look at a jointly created project. As luck would have it, Matteo is an architect and they designed their Lyon apartment together. A bright space that reflects their personalities – welcoming and full of surprises.

L’Oeil Vintage: 35 rue René Leynaud – 69001 Lyon.

Salon Christophe Collado Propriétaire L'Oeil Vintage

Salon Fauteuil Christophe Collado Propriétaire L'Oeil Vintage

Christophe, Matteo: can you tell us a bit about yourselves?

Christophe

Today, I’m in charge of the L’Oeil Vintage gallery, a hybrid place which combines young artistic creation and vintage furniture. I’ve always had a passion for art and design. I started second-hand shopping and buying art from the age of about 10. I met Matteo during my art history studies, when he was an Erasmus student in Lyon.

Matteo

I’m a young Italian architect and I’ve lived in Lyon, my adoptive city where I met Christophe, for 7 years. I’m passionate about architecture, design and music. I love designing, ideas and brainstorming and I’m lucky enough to do a job which has always interested me.

How long have you been here?

Matteo & Christophe

We’ve just finished some building work! It’s only been a few months that we’ve been able to enjoy our new apartment. It’s not the first project we’ve taken on together, but it’s the first apartment we’ve shared where everything is to our taste.

How did you design and develop your interior?

Matteo

We designed the project together and we carried out the work ourselves, with our family’s help. I was in charge of interior design and Christophe was in charge of building work. We made choices about decor and architecture together. We don’t always have the same tastes, but we managed to agree.

Christophe

We wanted the apartment to have a friendly feel so that we could invite all our friends. So we’ve created a vast, welcoming living room, perfect for having friends round.

Coussin bleu Christophe Collado Propriétaire L'Oeil Vintage

What items are you most proud of?

Matteo

I really love our glass table with its wooden structure, it’s a piece of furniture which has been in my family since my childhood. Christophe and I also love our ink blue Tempo chairs, designed by Noergaard and Kechayas for New Works. They’re a perfect example of contemporary Scandinavian design. Definitely a brand to follow.

Christophe

It’s more complicated when choosing art, but we really like Mathieu Le Breton’s work, a ready-made matte blue contemporary Klein and Nathalie du Pasquier’s drawing.

Someone from the art world who inspires you?

Matteo

I’m always amazed by Dominique Coulon’s work. His work is very creative, with a calculated complexity which gives his buildings a somewhat mysterious feel but which is never ostentatious.

Christophe

The Memphis Milano movement and Nathalie du Pasquier’s work inspire me hugely, both in terms of furniture and graphic design. Although nearly 80 years old, it’s as current as ever and has made a comeback over the last few years.

An era of which you’re particularly fond?

Matteo

We’re big fans of the Italian movement in the 70s and 80s. There were so many movements in such a short time! The classics – Joe Colombo’s anti-design, the Memphis group and the Superstudio collective – are great examples of what we love about that period.

Christophe

Of course, we also love the 50s and the Scandinavian design which created timeless, functional furniture. It was a really innovative time and, in my opinion, marks the advent of modern design with several iconic pieces.

Salon Salle à manger Chaises Cesca Christophe Collado Propriétaire L'Oeil Vintage

Salon Plante Christophe Collado Propriétaire L'Oeil Vintage

Portrait Christophe Collado et Matteo Propriétaire L'Oeil Vintage

What’s missing from your apartment?

Christophe

We don’t have any more room, but I’d love to have the Elda chair by Joe Colombo!

Matteo

I’d love a clock from George Nelson’s time! That’ll be our next purchase, I think!

How would you describe your style in terms of decoration?

Matteo

We like different things. Matteo prefers a simple, minimalist decor while I like an artistic feel with plenty of colour. We’ve tried to find a happy medium for this project: a certain timeless simplicity, brightened up with artwork and furniture with brightly-coloured accents. Our style can be summarised as being “warm yet minimal”.

At the moment, what are your favourite colours and materials?

Christophe

We love timeless dark colours: ink blue and green which borders on black. They’re not always easy colour choices, but sometimes you have to be bold. They’re colours which create depth and make rooms seem bigger. When it comes to materials, we like stained fibreboard and granito, inspired by the Mediterranean terraces of the 50s.

Chambre Christophe Collado Propriétaire L'Oeil Vintage

What can we find in your L’Oeil Vintage shop? What is the shop’s philosophy?

Christophe

You can admire Scandinavian-style furniture from the 50s and 60s and plenty of contemporary items too. In the new shop, I want to focus on brands which are less well-known, more artisan and I want to offer more which are exclusive to Lyon. Alongside that, the shop is also an exhibition space with different exhibitions every two months. I try to exhibit work by young artists graduating from the School of Fine Arts as much as possible. I think it’s essential to support tomorrow’s artists. L’Oeil Vintage’s philosophy is to offer high-quality, second-hand pieces we love at accessible prices.

How do you choose the furniture and the designers?

Christophe

We’re inspired by fairs and exhibitions when it comes to the design of contemporary items but, in general, we focus on things we love. We don’t choose anything we wouldn’t have in our apartment.

L’Oeil Vintage is expanding rapidly; what’s coming up?

Christophe

Lots! We’re working on a new exhibition with the very talented Séverin Millet (a French illustrator who works with lots of daily newspapers across the globe) and a new place, too! A bit more central than the last one, but still on the slopes of the first arrondissement in Lyon, in rue René Leynaud.

Can you recommend a few places?

Christophe

Plenty! We’re going to be a bit biased and just talk about Lyon. In terms of shops, there are plenty of new places around. We love the shop Blitz. It has plenty of ideas for presents and lots of smaller items, but it also has a gallery with work we’ve been unable to resist on several occasions. It has a great range from contemporary companies including Petite Friture and Seletti. It’s an incredibly unusual shop in Lyon – with an owner who’s just adorable. On a completely different note, we love la Maison Franc. Good taste reigns supreme with lots of gorgeous ceramics and beautiful second-hand items. The restaurants here aren’t to be outdone either. For a drink or a bite to eat, we go to Voxx. It’s sort of our canteen. We love the timeless feel of the place. The marble walls, the designer furniture and Italian ceramics. It’s very detail-oriented and the portions are generous! Lastly, an exhibition centre which we love: the IAC in Villeurbanne which is a particularly active Contemporary Art Centre and has a beautiful collection.