The World of Atelier Vime, a renaissance in wicker and style, is a new wonderful book published by Flammarion. The title features 130 pages looking at the innovative and decorative style of the house established by Benoît Rauzy and Anthony Watson, here by celebrating the idyllic settings of Provence.

​Benoît Rauzy and Anthony Watson founded Atelier Vime in 2016, a French design studio dedicated to crafting and curating wicker, rattan, and rope furnishings, furnitures and ornemental components. Their story began when they purchased an 18th-century hôtel particulier in Vallabrègues, Provence, a village with a rich history in basket weaving. Today, they engage with vintage sourcing, creation of accessories such as mirrors, lights, tables and desks, glassware, and more. The book traces how a house opened new creative paths.

Upon learning that the property had once been home to a family of basket weavers, they were inspired to revive the fading local craft. To do so, they replanted willow shrubs, worked closely with local artisans, and developed contemporary decorative pieces in collaboration with designer Raphaëlle Hanley.

“The history was there. The house had even once been the site of a wickerwork business: Maison Boyer. If we couldn’t continue this history – it was not ours to continue – we could at least revive the traditions and skills that we felt so connected to, across time and space. One year later, Raphaelle Hanley joined us, with her signature sky-high heels and voluminous skirts. Together, we made our selections from her designs, which had the unified feel of an haute couture collection. Atelier Vime was born.”

Atelier Vime, originally established in Vallabrègues Provence in 1878 (near Avignon and Arles) in a grand eighteenth-century house, draws on the long tradition of wickerwork in this village of basket-makers on the banks of the Rhône River.

This spectacular book invites the reader to explore the poetic settings of their homes, and to dive into style, gardening, architecture, decor and art. It also explores the origins of wicker, from basket making in Ancient Greece and Egypt, to its representation in painting as with Carravagio (Boy with a basket of fruits, 1593-1594) and Chardin (Basket of wild strawberries, c. 1761) for example. Karl Lagerfeld became the brand’s first famous client.

Beyond their professional endeavours, Rauzy and Watson have restored multiple historic properties in France, including a farmhouse in Brittany and a ‘maison de campagne’ in Normandy, also featured in the book, where they integrate traditional craftsmanship with modern design elements and great art.

The table of contents of the 2024-published book they co-authored, is captivating, featuring multiple chapters that explore the elegance and significance of wicker: “An Introduction to Wicker,” “Vime Style,” and “From Design to Décor.” These sections highlight the transformation of what was once considered an outdated style into an element of modern sophistication and refined taste.

“Plant matter has been woven since time immemorial, and the practice dates back to the very beginnings of human history. Very early on, people found ways of using leaves, stalks, and grasses to create objects that allowed them to trap animals or transport goods. Wickerwork is an ancient skill, so commonplace and so deeply rooted in daily life that very few written traces of it survive today.”

In this fantastic book, the house of Benoît Rauzy and Anthony Watson is a character itself. Its beautiful colour palette of the limewashed walls from periwinkle blue to burnt ocher provides a unique backdrop for the antique furniture, decorative objects, and collections of classical and modern art that populate the entrepreneurs’ interiors (Léger, Manet and unknown artists etc.), punctuated by the woven designs of their wicker creations, a long-established tradition of the region.

Hailed as “the industry secret for designers” by Architectural Digest, Atelier Vime has redefined style and inspired a craft revival following years of working as designers and on projects with Pierre Yovanovich, Aerin Lauder, Beata Heuman, Kelly Wearstler, and Jake Arnold among others.

Atelier Vime has gradually expanded to encompass parts of original property that had been sold off over the years. In the early days, it was just a few privileged clients who were invited to the main house; then after the purchase of the building on the banks of the Rhône, which had previously housed the workshops and was entirely renovated by the couple, they opened “Maison Vime” to the general public raising awareness on the beautiful house and craft.

In every room, Benoît Rauzy and Anthony Watson have preserved traces of the past, respecting the house’s history. The World of Atelier Vime, a renaissance in wicker and style, brillantly examines a story of rebirth but also showcases the work of a blooming generation of artists, designers, makers and arrangers including Marie-Victoire de Bascher, Wayne Pate, Emmanuel Pierre Richard Haines, Andrea Ferolla, and Pierre Bergian.

Notable photograhers in the book also include Lucien Clergue and Robert Doisneau. It’s a must-have for every passionate of decor and old traditions brought to the modern age.

–