The Workshop

After earning his DNSEP from the Beaux-Arts of Angers, he initially considered a career in scenography and performance, exploring the space between visual arts, theater, and cinema.

However, fate led him down an unexpected path. In Anjou, a new educational initiative called "Métiers Études" was taking shape, designed to promote manual skills through the art and craft trades. He was brought on board as a teacher and artist, to show talented middle-school students that they could create beautiful things with their hands, achieving excellence through hands-on intelligence. This innovative program aimed to establish a specialized curriculum, similar to existing programs in music, dance, or sports, but focused on the arts and crafts.

The role required an artist skilled in setting up a block-printed wallpaper workshop… and thus he found himself entering this world.

During his studies at the Beaux-Arts of Angers, he discovered a passion for block-printed wallpaper. He began to wonder if he was alone in being moved by this artisanal craft—or if, perhaps, he could share this passion and bring it to others. He found his spiritual mentors and masters in the great names of wallpaper from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries: Réveillon, Papillon, Balin, Leroy… A few key encounters encouraged him in this path, like his meetings with Véronique Delahougue, curator of the wallpaper department at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and Bernard Jacquet, director of the Wallpaper Museum in Rixheim.

Much like Dalí, who famously loved the unknown, François-Xavier dove headfirst into this unexpected endeavor, with just a few engraving techniques in his toolkit. He quickly realized he had a unique relationship with paper—a material that feels close to human skin, fragile yet rich with meaning. While not inherently noble, paper was made to spread ideas and facilitate the exchange of thoughts. Its value lies in the meaning it carries. Like people, paper rarely behaves as expected: it curls when you want it flat, creases when you want it smooth, tears when you try to fold it, and flutters easily. Inert, yet always in motion, paper brings a sense of humility in its constraints.

Now, paper has cast its spell on him. He seeks to tame it, to master it, and to restore it to its rightful place of honor.

Thus, he fell in love with block-printed wallpaper and began to wonder if he was the only one moved and inspired by this artisanal craft—or if he might, in fact, share his passion with others. Encouraged by his family and his wife, who were both enthusiastic about his vision, he overcame countless challenges and financial hardship to navigate through several difficult early years.

He found his spiritual mentors and masters in the great names of wallpaper from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries: Réveillon, Papillon, Balin, Leroy... A few key encounters further encouraged his journey, including those with Véronique Delahougue, curator of the wallpaper department at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and Bernard Jacquet, director of the Wallpaper Museum in Rixheim.

Finally, in 2009, he was awarded the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation Prize, officially establishing him as a master artisan and highlighting the richness, complexity, and quality of his work. As for the printing techniques, he learned by familiarizing himself with materials, colors, pigments, inks—and especially by carefully studying antique wallpapers.

Bridging centuries-old heritage with the contemporary world. The workshop’s first tools were crafted on-site, modeled after those used in the 18th century. Over time, however, it became clear that modern tools could also be useful—even essential—and could enhance the traditional gestures. The goal is to find a balance between these two temporalities, to elevate the old through the new... Yet, in this delicate evolution, the hand still has the final word.

Some key dates and awards

1999

Creation of the Atelier d’Offard in Saumur. Reconstruction for the house of Georges Sand.

2001

First embossing for the Ajuda Palace in Lisbon.

2002

First shearing for the Evora theater.

2006

SEMA Regional Award. 

EPV label.

Touraine Academy of Sciences, Arts and Belles-Lettres Prize.

2009

Hand Intelligence Prize from the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation.

2011

Creation of the first Atelier collection.

2012

Audacity Prize, Luxury and creative talents.

Discovery and research around stone cardboard.

2015

The use of forms exhibition, Palais de Tokyo.

Exhibition Mutations, the decorative arts of Paris.

2023

Stars and Trades - Responsible Grand Prize - Banque Populaire.

2023

Special Project - Design Miami

“The beginning of the story lies in some of the wallpapers we recreated, the first being for the house of George Sand, 18 years ago. When I started this workshop, all I had was a piece of paper and a pencil. We crafted all our tools, our presses. I learned my trade through reconstruction, by recreating period wallpapers. When the original document is too damaged, we’re asked to reconstruct it: we redraw the design, engrave the blocks, and print the wallpaper in its original colors. What interests me most is the gesture, bringing back to life the soul of the person who envisioned and created this décor.”

"We are paper embellishers."