Romain Jouffre

19 Feb

Written By Olivier Garcé

In search of excellence

Romain Jouffre in his workshop - Long Island City, NYC

Upholstered Lola Chair by Minjae Kim

Hand carver Douglas fir, stained and lacquered with boucle upholstery. Same old Lola, just a little cushy.

January 2022

Interviews with open minded creative people who, like Olivier Garcé, resonate the same passion for collectible design, art and narrative places that defines them.

Next in our interview series, we speak with Romain Jouffre, owner of Ateliers Jouffre based in New York and Lyon, France.
Romain lives and works in New York, where I met him.
Ateliers Jouffre has just relocated and renovated their workshop in Long Island City, for which Olivier Garcé helped Romain in a friendly way to develop the exhibition space in November 2021.

What is your background?

I was born in Lyon, France. A city with a great tradition of craftsmanship that for centuries has flourished thanks to its silk weaving industry. I thought my career would be in a large service corporation but I actually started working in India at Vintage Rides, an amazing travel agency specializing in motorcycle tours across the world. I was a travel advisor and a guide. I fell in love with the country and actually named my daughter India 5 months ago! After that, I worked for a few months for a large sporting goods retailer but quickly realized that I would not be happy in that industry. At that very moment, my dad Charles who created Jouffre in 1987 needed help in New York. I offered help and moved to New York on July 5th 2014. I’ll always remember that day which changed my life. Since then, I have been the General Manager of Jouffre and I have two American children!

How Ateliers Jouffre ended up in NY?

My dad Charles has always been obsessed with New York, just like a good amount of French people. He had the chance to visit the city in the 90’s with his first work and got a sense of how important New York was to the art and decoration world. As Jouffre was growing in Europe and becoming a reference when it comes to high end upholstery and window treatment, his next challenge naturally became to conquer the most magical and astonishing market in the word: New York. He started coming back and forth in 1999 to meet with designers and try to convince them to work with a workroom located across the ocean, 2 hours away from Paris by train, Lyon. He did great and made a name for himself year after year, being patient but yet determined.

What is your relation to handcrafts?

Since I was a child, I have been working in the French workroom. For my dad, staying home doing nothing during weekends and vacations was never an option and if we wanted to go on a trip with friends, we had to pay for it. I am very grateful and proud that he passed on to me the value of money and his passion for work. I would therefore work at the workroom, mainly in the logistic department, whenever I’d have spare time. I’d pack the sofa, renovate and paint areas of the shop, move things around, and help the artisans with some easy tasks. Without even noticing it at that time, I realize today a passion for craftsmanship was already rooted deep inside of me by the age of 20.

Since I’ve started working full-time at Jouffre, my passion for this industry has been growing exponentially. I met some of the most talented artists and artisans in the world. I see them every week on the job and I am in awe of their expertise and love for their craft, the materials they choose to work with and the patience they have to accomplish their work.

What object do you value the most and why?

To be honest, I can’t think of one as I haven’t had a chance to acquire beautiful design pieces yet but I want to in the near future and I recently purchased a beautiful rocking chair designed by Göran Malmvall on the advice of my friend Olivier Garcé. For now, all my energy is dedicated to my family and to Jouffre. My ambition is for Jouffre to become the most high-end workroom in the world. We want to be the leader in Europe and in North America so it takes a lot of time and energy.

Who is your favorite artist?

I love Peter Lane who is a ceramist located in Brooklyn, NY. I had the pleasure to meet him a few years ago and not only is he a fantastic artist but also a beautiful person. He took the time to show me his studio and explain his techniques. I’ve seen many of his installations at job sites and every time, I feel like they create a very special moment.

What is your relation to design in New York?

I am so lucky I get to visit artists, galleries and workrooms on a weekly basis. I try to attend shows and exhibitions as much as I can while making sure I found the right balance for my family. I am also blessed that we've already had the opportunity to work for some of the most amazing interior designers and artists of the city, just like Daniel Arsham, Giancarlo Valle, or Tony Ingrao to name a few. We also have great relationships with galleries such as R & Company who gave us the opportunity to participate in an exhibition they named The Artisans a few years ago. With the amazing fabrics of our good friend Tara Chapas from Chapas Textiles, we reupholstered and restored some iconic Brazilian furniture from the gallery's collection.

How do you define your relation to fabrics?

There is so much to learn about fabrics and I am starting from very far away! How they are woven, the different techniques, the varieties of materials and threads... Fabrics occupy a predominant place in our business. Without them, we do not exist and we cannot demonstrate our savoir-faire. My father and I have created over the years very privileged relationships with fabric houses and wonderful textile designers. I am fascinated by the work of my friend Ruka who weaves some of the most beautiful fabrics I have ever seen from her studio in Brooklyn.

Sometimes it's also a tough love relationship because a hard-to-work-with fabric can give us a lot of grief. That's why we encourage our customers to give us references up front so we can make sure the fabric is suitable for a given project.

Are you still learning how to manage? How do you progress?

Management is my second passion after arts & crafts. I read a lot of books that help me be a better manager. I challenge myself every day on that topic because I truly believe that the success of the company in the coming years will rely on our capacity to attract and retain talented artisans and colleagues. I face new challenges daily. Management can be the hardest part of my work but it is also the most rewarding. For me, there is nothing like seeing my colleagues being happy at work, motivated and proud to work for a company that works for the most talented interior designers in the world while being human, attentive and determined to make its teams grow.

What is next?

We are actually in a transition phase in many ways. My father retired 2 years ago and we have to learn to live without him while capitalizing on the colossal and wonderful legacy he leaves us. We need to make sure that we can keep his eye for detail and his high standards. He never compromised on quality; he loved his job too much for that. We have also started a digital transition: we are modernizing our working tools both in the workshops and in the offices. I want this beautiful company to be around in 100 years and even beyond! So we have to reinvent ourselves, question ourselves and shake up the status quo every day. Finally, we have to finalize the layout of our brand-new New York workroom . It's a tedious job because there are so many things to do, but little by little, we are getting there. Then maybe it will be time to open a new workshop? On the west coast of the United States or maybe in Asia?

Romain Jouffre bio

Since his youngest age, Romain has rubbed shoulders with Jouffre artisans and immersed himself in a unique universe made of fabrics, horsehair and needles: the upholsterer's world.

Romain, who never imagined that he would one day work with his father Charles, is now in the process of taking over the general management of the entire company, still driven by the same motivations: to defend and promote the arts and crafts, to develop a business and management model that is free and intensely motivated by the well-being of its teams. Every day, Romain leads its employees towards a perpetual quest for excellence initiated by Charles more than thirty years ago.