St. Tropez Charm
St Tropez, a dream come true as I check off another destination on my bucket list I must admit that the South of France was even more charming than I imagined, possibly because it was still “off-season” for another week so it was easy to roam the streets with a hassle.
Traveling to Monte-Carlo in Monaco, Le Lavandou, Antibes, and St Tropez I was able to get a nice overview of the SOF. St Tropez was my home base so I did spend more time in this charming city. YES, the boats are big but the port has a charismatic quality that makes you feel that time has stood still.
On my first day in St Tropez I walked into Armel Soyer, a design gallery and salon dedicated to the decorative arts of the 21st century, that recreates a dialogue between the art object and its environment. With four locations, one in Paris, two in Megeve and the St Tropez location the amount of upscaled artisan home design is truly endless. This gallery is a treasure-trove of functional artwork for the home because each piece tells its own artistic story through substrate, shape, and functional form.
Image overview from Armel Soyer website. Notice the beautiful mixing of artisan lifestyle imagery. - armelsoyer.com - 14 Rue Joseph Quaranta, 83990 Saint Tropez France
Mixing Substrates
I love the beautiful handwoven wall hanging, artisan jewelry, bamboo and metal table lamp and nautical rope table with a backdrop of original mural artwork.
Form & Function
A favorite of mine, and the piece that caught my attention first, was this woven back chair that is designed by a local artisan from the South of France. The detail, dimension, and mixed substrates of the weave are so intentional and beautiful. It’s like having a functional work of art that seconds as a chair.
Free-Form
This mirror is designed by the same artisan who created my favorite chair. The asymmetry of the shape coupled with the free-form weave against a beautiful natural fabric substrate caught my eye immediately.
Modern Simplicity
I call this the “T” chair and love its modern simplicity.
Innovation
This light fixture by far was the most innovation application for lighting that I did see during my entire trip.
Coral
The leg of this table is sculpted wood made to look like a piece of coral. Its technique is quite beautiful as the textured leg is truly amazing! The vibe of this picture truly sums up the sensibility of this trip with its terra-cotta color story and organic modern vibe. It’s so nice to see that sustainable design has taken on a more artisan vibe.
Metal Work
A new take on wood and hammered metal work, the chair seat is made from a woven rope weave, woven around a metal frame.
Artwork
This artwork is a collage of handmade paper, screen print, and photography from the same designer who created the woven chair and mirror.
Metal Accents
This metal stitched bench and vase were outstanding as accent home decor pieces.
