Bordeaux, France

Behold a rare commission: the revival of a 17th-century French castle, finished with our Harvested European Mountain Oak in a bespoke grey patina. Rather than specifying genuine reclaimed timber, this project demonstrates how our colour science can honour an ancient interior with newly quarried wood. Working alongside local finishers and colourists, we have developed mineral-based pigments and organic formulations that bond with the grain to achieve nuanced, naturally aged tones. The surface is tuned through a sequence of slow, hand-worked steps until the hue aligns precisely with the client’s brief. Floors, doors, walls and tables were completed by hand in situ. A living example of slow design: handmade, historically sympathetic, and engineered to endure. Designer: Anne Derasse Photographer: Jörg Bräuer