WHO IS ANTHONY GUERRÉE
LINTELOO's collaboration with Anthony Guerrée is off to an excellent start, with his Offset tables. High time to get to know the French designer a bit better.
Twenty years ago, at the tender age of 15, Anthony Guerrée (35) decided to attend the only school in France’s Normandy region where he was born, that offered ‘design’ as a subject. ‘I was inspired by magazines that I had read, and over the years, during subsequent studies and internships, I found myself even more drawn to especially product design, because of its immediate influence on the way people live their lives. Even if it is simply about a teacup.’ After several years, Anthony enrolled at the esteemed École Boulle in Paris. Founded in 1886, this institution is named after the cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle, generally considered to be the preeminent artist in the field of marquetry during the reign of Louis XIV. ‘Obviously, artisanship is at the heart of this old school. And that really resonated with me. Even more so, once I travelled to Japan where I spent time with a traditional glassblower.’ Having worked for renowned studios, such as Andrée Putman and Christophe Delcourt, Anthony struck out on his own as a freelance designer and art director in 2020.
His first collection was an immediate hit with galleries, the public and design critics: a series of chairs inspired by the characters in Marcel Proust’s novel À la recherche du temps perdu. ‘I enjoy looking to the past for inspiration. And yes, I can imagine one would recognize a certain art déco vibe in the strong lines of my recent designs for LINTELOO. I am always striving towards creating a clean concept with a clear vocabulary. Of course, this leaves no room for error, because even the smallest details count. And that is where the artisanship comes in. This combination of functionality, design and artisanship is also in LINTELOO’s DNA, which is why our partnership is perfect. I enjoy building strong relationships with brands I feel a connection with. And every piece I have designed for LINTELOO is something I could happily live with myself. But ultimately, it is about the customer’s way of life. Which is why, for instance, the BLEND dining sofa is modular – this leaves room for individuality.’
Giving the customer this option of creating an interior that perfectly suits his or her needs and will therefore be enjoyed for a very long time, is a rarely mentioned aspect of sustainability. For Anthony too, sustainability is about more that sourcing his materials responsibly. ‘Sustainability, for me, is also about sourcing the best craftsmen ensuring enduring quality, and about working as locally as possible. And I love natural materials anyway: I am currently designing 20 pieces, completely made of marble, for M EDITION with the Fondation Le Corbusier.’ No wonder then that, when asked which designer he admires, Anthony replies: ‘Henry Van de Velde’, the Belgian uomo universale whose work is the epitome of sculpting materiality. ‘His work was a constant cross-over between design and art.’ Well, in all honesty, we at LINTELOO find that the same applies to Anthony Guerrée’s spectacular designs.
Anthony Guerrée
Anthony Guerrée was educated at the École Boulle in Paris, where—since its foundation in 1886—young talents are schooled in the fine and applied arts, and where craftmanship plays a central role. Fascinated by the interior designers of the ‘30s, Anthony joined Studio Andrée Putman, in 2010, where he was able to work with the best ‘makers’ in the world in shaping world-class interiors. In 2015, Anthony went to work for designer Christophe Delcourt, assisting him in designing his Delcourt Collection furniture, as well as contributing to Christophe’s collaborations with brands such as Minotti, Collection Particulière, and CC-Tapis.
In 2020, Anthony Guerrée ventured out on his own and developed a unique signature. His first furniture collection was inspired by Marcel Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu. Each of the sculptural chairs embodies the character of one of the protagonists. These pieces tell a story, because each of Anthony’s designs is more than simply functional. His designs are the tangible, flawless results of the dynamics between tradition and innovation.
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