La Cuisine Francaise

?Discover our history, our ethic and expertise?.? By Christophe Cousin, creator of ?La Cuisine Française? ?There is never perfection, there is only improvement?. This was the famous precept my Grandfather Albert often reminded me of in his workshop in our small Mayenne village. As I read and reread his sketchbook, I rediscovered his prototypes and his works which were constantly corrected and revised. His love of a job well done was matched only by his expectations of himself. My Grandfather, Albert, inherited these values from his father Albert-Pierre, his Grandfather, Jacques Cousin, who, along with his brothers were all cartwrights, joiners and cabinet makers since 1821. Then, with my father Michel and the first master craftsman cabinet makers who joined our family, we have tirelessly raised our standards higher than ever before. Humility, pragmatism, curiosity hard work and quality, have all been the criteria since my childhood. Rather than ideals, these have been a real lifeline which led my family and myself to strong links, and often friendships with our colleagues and clients. What is it that, for five generations now, makes our creations different? No compromise on materials: Most of our kitchen cabinets are made from plywood carcasses, guaranteeing stability and lightness in weight, resistance to humidity, and increased load capacity. The kitchen is technically the most challenging part of the house, an everyday work area with its mixture of humidity, heat, liquids, and air circulating in and out. It is therefore vital that the quality of materials, furniture and worktops in this room are guaranteed for lasting sustainability. No compromise on our children?s future: For many years precursors on the subject, we have made sure that what we produce is done in a balanced way: all our wood is from sustainable managed forests, respecting our future generations; all our wood residue is recycled in a heating system, which, combined with our factory?s unconventional thermal insulation, guarantees a quasi autonomous energy, with a constant temperature and condition in our workshops, thereby promoting the stability of the wood and comfortable working conditions for our craftsmen. No compromise on research and creation: in the four corners of the world, we look at the trends, we anticipate the needs of our customers; with our sketchbooks we develop designs for the form, functions, style and colours that embrace the most refined interiors and sometimes the most contemporary. No compromise on human values: humility, humanism, mutual support; my family have always known to preserve these values with our craftsmen, whose children and sometimes grandchildren have joined our ?house? after inheriting their fathers know-how and need for perfection. For five generations, my family has created, manufactured and fitted luxury furniture and sometimes, because of our customers wishes, the most original. For nearly two centuries we have learned to anticipate the changing needs of our customers, listening and analysing their lifestyle and making this demand the driving force of our work. We are surrounded by the best experienced craftsmen who in turn have trained young and promising people who love their craft; we have also joined interior designers who have managed to infuse our collections with an air of innovation, sophistication and French style expertise, drawn from the historical regional artistic traditions. Our exclusive creations are produced in our own French workshops, and are supplied through our own showrooms. Our products can also be found at top retailers and fitters who market leading brands, and through some of the best architects and interior designers from Europe, Russia and the United States. I wish you a pleasant visit in the world of ?La Cuisine Française?. Christophe Cousin