Maker’s Spotlight – Atelier Alain Ellouz

We have a true love affair with Alain Ellouz. The stone sculptor has wholeheartedly mastered the unique nature of alabaster… molding, reworking, and crafting the raw material into genuine works of art. At his exceptional atelier, Ellouz has (courtesy of  Holly Hunt), “developed a new craft that combines the precise manual gesture of sculptors and stone carpenters with the latest technology, mastery of light and protection of alabaster.”

Atelier Alain Ellouz has a workshop near Versailles, France where all the creations are hand-crafted and designed with the standards and traditions of France’s top luxury brands. The atelier is truly the master of “all things alabaster.” Lucky for us, Ellouz has brought the stunning material to the forefront of luxury interiors.

The unique designs Ellouz sculpts seamlessly inhabit the space they reside in…perfectly filling the space with volume and light. The precious stone pieces appear to come alive in the space in which they reside. For the past two decades, Ellouz has dedicated his career to alabaster; to carving light out of stone. The pieces produced in the workshop are one of the few that use alabaster so freely. The raw material is quite fragile and tender which is precisely why it is so rare to find decorative alabaster. Ellouz spent the first two years after founding the atelier researching a technique that would enable the delicate material to be made as strong as granite while maintaining its original quality and beauty. The experimentation led Ellouz to creating Stonelight, a treatment that involves an invisible “armor coat” that is applied directly to the alabaster. Stonelight leaves behind a velour touch which adds a gorgeous finishing touch to the pieces.

The projects range in size and complexity; the soft sulfate mineral begets being carved into stunningly unexpected shapes. Just as the sculptors of ancient Greece, the material continues to evoke luxury and sophistication. Each product includes (courtesy of Interior Design), “a dimmable LED-bulb that is scaled to match the thickness of rock surrounding it to give the illusion that the fixture itself is glowing.” The touch-activated technology eliminated the need for additional hardware. The past two years have seen alabaster catapult on the United States market. We can thank Atelier Alain Ellouz, as the brand generates 50% of its sales from the continent of North America…and it continues to grow.

Simply said, Ellouz noted, “We’re talking about having a piece of earth in your house that glows like a sun.” Seriously though, why not?
Visit the Atelier Alain Ellouz website!