The Empire Standard
The slow art of making well
One hundred and twenty artisans. Four hundred hours per dining table. A standard set without compromise since 1972.
01
Selection
Slow-grown French oak, American walnut and Carrara marble — chosen one slab at a time.
02
Joinery
Mortise and tenon, dovetail, finger-joint. No screws, no shortcuts.
03
Finishing
Twelve coats of hand-rubbed oil and wax. Brass burnished by hand.
04
Signature
Each piece engraved with the maker's mark — a quiet, permanent promise.
The Materials
Only what endures
Our material library is small by intention. We work only with substances that earn their gravitas through time — stone that warms, wood that deepens, brass that takes on a quiet patina.
Noble Stone
Carrara, Calacatta, Nero Marquina.
Solid Hardwood
Slow-cured oak, walnut, ash.
Forged Brass
Patinated in our own forge.
Italian Leather
Vegetable-tanned, full-grain.
Velvet & Linen
Woven by Lyonnaise mills.
Lifetime Promise
Restored, never replaced.
"We do not make furniture quickly. We make it once."
— Maître Henri Laurent, 1972