LAKESIDE HERITAGE
Décor Chinois by Zuber in Switzerland
At a lakeside villa in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Arnaud Fouassier was joined by his mentor, Émile Intondi, for the installation of twenty panels of Décor Chinois by Zuber - an extraordinary panoramic wallpaper depicting exotic birds, flowers and foliage.
Intondi, the former head of Zuber and now president of the Rixheim Wallpaper Museum, has devoted his career to the preservation and continuation of the craftsmanship for which Zuber is renowned. His mentorship of Arnaud Fouassier represents the passing of specialist knowledge from one generation to the next; a tradition founded on patience, precision and an uncompromising respect for the material.
Based in Rixheim, France, Zuber has been making wallpaper since the 1700s and is recognised as the world’s oldest wallpaper manufacturer. Its hand block-printed wallpapers are created through a painstaking process in which craftsmanship, artistry and generations of knowledge remain integral to the finished work. Zuber is now part of La Maison Pierre Frey.
Working with such precious panels demands more than technical expertise. Every piece must be handled with the utmost care, and every join carefully considered. Every stage of the installation is undertaken with respect for the centuries-old craft.
" Exceptional wallpapers deserve exceptional installation. "
Arnaud Fouassier
For this installation, a backing paper was applied to allow the exceptional and valuable wallpaper to be removed and rehung in the future - an important consideration when working with historic, hand-crafted wallcoverings of this quality.
The collaboration between Émile Intondi and Arnaud Fouassier reflects the fundamentals of a craft where knowledge is passed down from hand to hand. It is this combination of heritage, skill and finesse that allows exceptional wallcoverings to be installed with the same care and precision with which they were created.
Internationally renowned for his specialist expertise in the installation of delicate, hand-made, and art wallpapers, Fouassier travels worldwide to undertake challenging and exacting assignments.
Zuber
Zuber, based in Rixheim, France, whose history as a wallpaper manufacturer goes back to the 1700s, is the oldest wallpaper manufacturer in the world.
Famous for their heritage panoramic scenic wallpapers that are still hand-crafted using antique wooden printing blocks, Zuber wallpapers are highly valued and installed using traditional methods and in such as way that they can be removed and reinstalled elsewhere.
Décor Chinois by Zuber was printed by hand at their Rixheim base, near Mulhouse in France, using 384 antique wooden printing blocks and 57 colours.
Zuber is now owned by Pierre Frey, a third-generation family-owned company that is "committed to preserving and enhancing this priceless heritage".