Family
Reinvention in the Burgundy Countryside, in a Simply Decorated 16th-Century Stone Building
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Madeleine Froment and Mehdi Adraa, Lucie 12 years old
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. Madeleine Froment and Mehdi Adraa – founders of La Lune Décoration – have adopted this mantra from English designer William Morris, and it resonates with the philosophy of The Socialite Family collections. A vision of simple interior design — mirroring the slow lifestyle of this former graphic designer and her partner — has materialised during their long-awaited exodus to the Burgundy countryside. Leaving their Montmartre flat for the place that has Madeleine’s heart, the former Parisian couple refocused on the cement that holds them together. Their complementary personal and professional backgrounds have inspired them to put their creative energies to good use in an entrepreneurial project at the crossroads of their ecological and artistic concerns. The aim is to design sustainable everyday objects, alongside careful sourcing of vintage items and a selection of handmade creations by young talent. “Madeleine embraces the design of their brand’s creations, while Mehdi brings his management expertise to the young company. It was in a 500-year-old building that the pair found the ideal setting for this new family adventure. This bucolic refuge with exposed wooden beams and terracotta floor tiles expresses the DNA of their new project. Simple, minimalist and soothing are keywords that ring true in this setting, where biodiversity also provides the inspiration they need for their daily lives. Interview.
Location
Dijon
Author
Juliette Bruneau
Photographer
Valerio Geraci
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TSF
Madeleine, Mehdi: could you introduce yourselves, please?
Madeleine
We’re the founders of La Lune and La Lune editions. We met nine years ago in Paris. We immediately realised that we would get on well, and above all, we discovered that we could work and create together. This was where our story began. We’ve made short films, organised exhibitions, restored a house and created our brand together. We’re both children of the 1980s who grew up between Paris and the suburbs; both extremely curious and creative, but we each have our own worlds and skills. I studied applied arts in Paris, at the ENSAAMA School of Art and Design, focusing on visual communication, and I worked as an art director and graphic designer for several years before I realised that I needed to devote myself to my own projects. Drawing has always been part of my life, shapes, materials, and the search for balance and beauty. For La Lune, I design our own furniture collection and bring together talents to offer rare and unique objects. Mehdi grew up between Seine-Saint-Denis, Normandy and Morocco. He loves pop culture and particularly anything to do with the 1980s. Coming from a management background that didn’t really suit him, he quickly turned to his passions which are cinema and video. When I started my business, I soon needed help in the purchasing, preparation and delivery phases. And as the business grew, Mehdi joined in.
TSF
Please tell us about your childhood. What sort of environment did you grow up in, and how did it influence your idea of what is beautiful?
Madeleine
I grew up between a Parisian apartment and a country house in Burgundy, a few kilometres from where we live now. I spent all my holidays in a decidedly rustic house my parents had bought for a song. It’s not just people who can act as tutors; places can play this role, too. I believe this stripped-back place, the stones, the beams, the furniture found in flea markets, and the summers spent outdoors have been “characters” in my development and have revealed my sensitivity to things. Obviously, Paris, museums, my father’s love of painting and my mother’s taste for flea markets have contributed to my culture and my interest in these subjects.
Mehdi
Madeleine and I don’t necessarily have the same relationship with decoration, and I’m not against her taking the lead. If she’d let me, there’d probably be a pinball machine in the living room and a castle for my cats (laughs). I have quite different tastes, having grown up between old kung fu movies and arcades. The simplicity of its decoration pleases and soothes me, and I certainly wouldn’t have imagined arranging the house in this way. I like practicality, which is why I focus on ergonomics when choosing furniture and decorative items. However, my office is still my world, and it’s as eclectic as a Moroccan bazaar, with a geeky twist (laughs).
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We had a small apartment in Montmartre, but the lack of space made it difficult to fulfil our wants and needs, so we asked ourselves: "Why not try again somewhere else?"
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TSF
After a period in Paris, you decided to move to Burgundy. Tell us about this life choice.
Madeleine
I think I love the idea of a fresh start. It was Mehdi who motivated me to think about living in the country, whereas I felt more comfortable with city living. We had a small apartment in Montmartre, but the lack of space made it difficult to fulfil our wants and needs, so we asked ourselves: “Why not try again somewhere else?” Reinvent our professional lives, which we didn’t find satisfying, and reinvent our daily lives at the same time, with the opportunity to enjoy a spacious house and have room to experiment. We also had a time constraint, as we had to leave the Paris apartment quickly. The urgency of the situation helped us not to think too much about our fears and to leave ourselves space to dream. We drew a circle around Paris so as not to isolate ourselves from our friends and professional contacts, and we looked for houses in these areas. In the end, Burgundy proved to be an obvious choice for practical and economic reasons, and also because of the link I had with the region. And it’s worth adding that the valleys of the Auxois are breathtaking.
TSF
Tell us how you came across this stone building that you live in.
Madeleine & Mehdi
The building is 500 years old, with beautiful details: arched windows, carved stone corbels to support massive beams, carved lintels, old wooden floors, terracotta tiles, and wooden shutters inside. When we took it over, it was in its original state; everything needed to be redone… We sensed a great energy from the very first visit. And we were right; this house brings us luck, despite the hours spent in the dust and the first cold winters. We realise that it’s a place that’s allowed us to achieve a lot since we’ve been living here. And above all, it’s a house that’s lived in: bees have been living here for years, in holes in the walls, birds also make their nests, and we come across all sorts of insects, hedgehogs, lizards, depending on the season, the biodiversity is a real pleasure to observe.
TSF
Through your project, La Lune decoration, you offer mainly handmade objects that advocate conscious and responsible consumption. Does this mindset also translate into your daily family life, and how?
Madeleine & Mehdi
We were pleasantly surprised to meet a number of craftsmen right after we moved here: basket makers, ceramists, glass blowers, and stone carvers. This gave us an insight into the skills present locally and the beauty that craftsmanship represents in aesthetic and spiritual terms. So we have the immense privilege of eating, drinking and cooking in objects that have been made by people we know and with whom we’ve enjoyed great conversations. We eat Victor’s hash off Kim’s and Amandine’s plates, enjoy a cup of tea brewed in Laurence’s teapot, in Clémentine’s or Éva’s cups, and drink from Florian’s glasses… They are little bits of life that are part of our day. I like the idea that everything around us is, for the most part, vintage or handmade. I try to convey to my daughters the idea that each of our actions has an impact, and that we can decide to limit it. That it’s our duty to make the effort to understand where an object comes from, what resources were needed to produce it, to transport it, whether the person or people who produced it were fairly remunerated and whether this work allows them to live with dignity. I always ask myself this question when I have to make a purchase, and I try to encourage my daughters to cultivate this reflex. We are vegetarians, and these questions, naturally, also arise in connection with our food. There are still many aspects we need to perfect, but we’re learning every day. We live by the mantra of William Morris: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know is useful or that you do not find beautiful.”
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I try to convey to my daughters the idea that each of our actions has an impact, and that we can decide to limit it. That it's our duty to make the effort to understand where an object comes from.
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TSF
What does The Socialite Family mean to you?
Madeleine & Mehdi
It’s a mine of inspiration! I can spend hours looking at the stories. I love the eclecticism of the families you see, and the detail and insight into the interiors. It’s always a pleasure to discover new portraits, and I love that the houses and apartments come to life and that you see the homes of such creative people. It’s been a reference for me for years.
TSF
Is there a piece from the collection that you would like to see in your home?
Madeleine & Mehdi
The Panchina bench. I love that piece and the world it represents.
TSF
Do you have any recommendations for places in Burgundy?
Madeleine & Mehdi
The four houses at Papotte Mill, a place to spend a few nights in a great setting, Fontenay Abbey to discover the beauty and power of the place, the lovely Poudre Organic shop run by our friends Manon and Quentin in Avallon, the Cibo restaurant and the creativity of Angelo, its chef, in Dijon, and the Consortium, a museum of contemporary art in Dijon, set up in an old factory.
TSF
Where will we see you next?
Madeleine & Mehdi
We’re very excited to be producing a collection in collaboration with the interior design duo Heju, which we’ll be presenting in Paris at Design Week in September, including the stool in our living room. We’re looking forward to revealing more…
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The building is 500 years old, with beautiful details: arched windows, carved stone corbels to support massive beams, carved lintels.
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