Article by Patrick Hernot published on 17 September 2022

Restoration and creation, the AD ébénistes workshop in Riec-sur-Bélon continues the tradition of this craft, which perpetuates ancestral techniques to preserve the furniture of yesterday and invent that of today.

"We're doing more and more creative work, but restoration still accounts for the bulk of our business," explain Emmanuelle Delanoë and Jean-François Allain, the two craftsmen behind AD ébénistes, whose workshop opened in 2018 on the Kermorvan business park in Riec-sur-Bélon.Le Télégramme / Patrick Hernot

"We're now helped by machines, but we still work a lot by hand," say Jean-François Allain and Emmanuelle Delanoë.Le Télégramme / Patrick Hernot

The clog factory is now a thing of the past in the Kermorvan industrial estate in Riec-sur-Bélon, but the woodworkers in the building are still there. The AD ébénistes workshop took over the premises in December 2018 to continue its activity in a larger space. The two craftsmen have thus found the framework they need to develop furniture creation to satisfy demand from customers who, for the most part, got to know them through furniture restoration work. "Word of mouth is our best form of advertising," smiles Emmanuelle Delanoë, the D of AD ébénistes, who came to Jean-François Allain's workshop as a trainee in 2009 and is now a partner. This apprenticeship has enabled them to move from the old to the new, to carve out bespoke pieces to bring memories of the past up to date, or to turn desires into reality. From the south of Finistère to the Gulf of Morbihan, orders are pouring in. "The order book is full until spring," confirms Jean-François Allain.

From the dashboard of a Jaguar to Louis XIII furniture

The workshop recovers and recycles old furniture, such as this 18th-century door, for restoration.Le Télégramme / Patrick Hernot

The two cabinet-makers are completing a corner unit designed to showcase a piece of glass dating from 1890: "The client gave us carte blanche. We opted for an art nouveau style, like the glass," they explain. Each commission is first and foremost an encounter that consolidates the sometimes shaky foundation of a heritage or outlines a future desire. Juggling styles and types of wood, they have created a butter mould, restored the dashboard of an antique Jaguar, restored a Louis XIII armoire and 16th-century religious statuettes, and fashioned trophies for a running race. This great leap from one period to another is the essence of their craft. "The cabinetmakers of Louis XV's time were the designers of that era," emphasises Emmanuelle Delanoë. And in their workshop in Riec-sur-Bélon, the two craftsmen perpetuate the skills and techniques of that golden age. "We create as we did in the 18th century, using the same assemblies. We now have the help of machines, but we still work a lot by hand," says Jean-François Allain, who continues to use fish glue.

Gilding, an additional activity

Since last year, Emmanuelle Delanoë has also specialised in gilding. She can restore picture frames and mirrors.Le Télégramme / Patrick Hernot

While they like to work with maple or walnut, and rare rose or violet woods for the veneer, their main concern is to preserve the thread of history. That's why they collect old furniture from private individuals. Once dismantled, they are used for restoration. "You have to find the same type of wood, and preferably the same age. Under these conditions, the traces of restoration are invisible," explains Jean-François Allain, who keeps an 18th-century door in his storeroom for future work. "We also work with other materials in the restoration process, from marble to bronze and leather, not forgetting locks," adds Emmanuelle Delanoë. So many opportunities to work and exchange ideas with other craftspeople, such as upholsterers, bronziers and leatherworkers. It's a veritable brotherhood of craftsmen, which also opens up new horizons. Emmanuelle has added a new activity to the workshop after being trained last year by one of the last gilders in the region. Using gold, silver or copper leaf, she now renovates picture frames and mirrors.