Born in Paris and raised in Provence, Caroline Beaupere is a designer whose atelier has been New York-based for the past 12 years.
She studied business and industrial design at the Grenoble School of Management. It shows in her work. “It’s always been very helpful to me in understanding manufacturing,” she says.
She designs furniture and light fixtures – and most recently, launched a collection of mosaic tiles now offered by New Ravenna.
Jardins Francais is a collection of five mosaics handcrafted from natural stone, brass, aluminum, glass and shell. They were inspired by the formal gardens of France, their ornate ironwork and their intricate symmetry.
The variety of materials represents subtle shifts in seasonal Mediterranean light. “It was important to bring all four seasons into this collection,” she says.
Winter is represented by a brisk tonal white and grey in Jardin de Villandry. Spring is enlivened by luminescent shell used in Fleur de Lys. Vivid summer light glows in a Monet blue glass in Jardin de Giverny. And the brass in Jardin de Versailles that emulates the golden hues of fall.
“I wanted to show shades of gray and light blues for winter and summer’s explosion of colors, and introduce gold for the fall,” she says.
She spent her childhood visiting Morocco, Spain, and Italy, and was inspired by Gaudi’s work in Barcelona. The theme of the collection comes from her favorite gardens in France, especially the fountains found there.
“The common aspect is the fountain in the middle – I love that geometric aspect of the French garden,” she says. So I kept that concept for the design – it’s really about having the fountain and the ability to wander though the garden and explore them.”
Each pattern can be customized to fit the scope of any commercial or residential project, and can be installed indoors or out, on floors or walls.
Some have their traditional fleur de lys moments and others a more modern, angular feel. And all offer an edgy, up-to-date feel.
But isn’t that what you’d expect from a designer with a background in business and industrial design?
For more, go here.
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