Atelier Véronique de Soultrait: rope, from thread to marvels

Before becoming the medium for her creations, rope formed part of a journey characterised by detours and experimentation. After training in painting and textile design at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, Véronique de Soultrait worked as a painter and decorator for over fifteen years. Then came her passion for antique objects: at flea markets, she hunted down crocheted pieces, re-dyed them, and transformed them into cushions and throws.

Gradually, she developed a desire to return to the wall and design her own patterns. Rope then became her medium. She borrowed the art of knotting from lace and macramé and the precision of assembly from marquetry and trimmings. From this fusion emerged a unique decorative language fuelled by research and the blending of techniques.

The material itself invites experimentation. Natural fibres or traditional cords can be combined with gold thread, kitchen string, or rubber. These unexpected combinations open up new possibilities. The focus is not just on adorning a surface, but on shifting the gaze and bringing out the richness of a design in a material that one thought one knew.

It is this creative freedom that also appealed to Juliette Chazot. “I’m very attached to nature and raw, unadorned things. I love authentic things.” After spending ten years working in transport and logistics, she developed a personal pottery practice alongside her day job.

She shapes lamp bases and designs lampshades from raffia and wool, paying close attention to the combinations of materials and colours she uses. When she discovered the workshop, she immediately recognised the connection with her own work.

Each cord on the panel is positioned to the nearest millimetre. They are laid, glued and adjusted against each other. The succession of matt or satiny fibres defines contours, creates rhythm and transforms the surface into a composition. Depending on the chosen materials and colours, light can accentuate a detail, emphasise a curve or bring a pattern to life.

Behind this apparent simplicity lies meticulous research. Juliette Chazot refers in particular to a study of antelopes that was commissioned for a hotel in Bahrain. This project, which has yet to be realised, required significant preparatory work, including creating a large-format sample and conducting numerous trials in order to capture the essence of traditional Middle Eastern embroidery using silver cords that can reflect light.

The design can sometimes hinge on the tiniest detail. On an antelope’s muzzle, for instance, altering the movement of a single thread can alter the animal’s expression and the balance of the entire piece. However, it is still necessary to be able to undo the work, peeling it off without causing any damage, retraced lines and repositioned fibres. Each of the various adhesives used requires its own specific precautions.

“Until we’ve achieved a result we’re truly happy with, we start again. We’re an art workshop, and we devote a great deal of time to research.” Here, mastery isn’t just about executing a pattern. It also involves knowing how to observe it, understanding what constitutes success, and being willing to redo the work until every element is in the right place.

Cord marquetry cannot be learnt through a dedicated training course; the craft is passed on at the heart of the workshop. The craftswomen come from a variety of backgrounds, including tapestry, straw marquetry and other manual trades. A few days’ training is enough to tackle the first patterns. As they gain more experience, the pieces become increasingly complex until each artisan is working independently.

Led by Juliette Chazot, the founder of the workshop, two craftswomen and an executive assistant ensure the business runs smoothly. This team embodies the transmission of knowledge that goes beyond mere techniques, drawing on accumulated experience, successive trials, and technical solutions developed over the course of various commissions.

It was this continuity that also made the takeover of the workshop possible. Four years before the handover, Juliette Chazot contacted Véronique de Soultrait to offer her support in developing her business. The time was not yet right. Then, in early 2025, as Juliette began preparing for her retirement, Véronique contacted her again.

This time, Juliette did not hesitate. The sale, which had been in progress for around a year and a half, was finalised on 28 July 2026. A joint management arrangement had been put in place by July, ahead of the handover period in September. This was designed to ensure continuity of expertise and business operations.

“This workshop had become a dream. I never gave up; it had to be this one and no other.’

Although the handover is now underway, Véronique de Soultrait has not quite stepped away from the limelight. She is still involved, particularly in supporting Juliette on the artistic side of things. The new manager intends to build on the existing catalogue, which is full of motifs that she wants to preserve, while also developing her own artistic style.

Two main categories form the backbone of this repertoire. On the one hand, there are geometric compositions based on repetition, lines and rhythms. On the other hand are the more lyrical motifs featuring scrolls, spirals, birds and foliage.

Juliette’s favourite motif belongs to the latter. Named ‘Lotus’, it stands out for its three-dimensionality and botanical feel. “I find it very poetic. It could reflect nature as it is, like a water lily.” This sculptural quality, which makes the motif appear to leap off the wall, reflects her taste for organic shapes.

However, her own sensibility will lead her towards more geometric compositions and contemporary colours. Without breaking with the brand’s heritage, she aims to expand the range and combine two worlds: the one that shaped the brand’s identity and the one yet to be created.

The intention is not to turn the page, but to continue the story. Rope will remain the link between these two styles, while the patterns and colour combinations will continue to evolve.

From wall panels and headboards to trellises, screens, drawer fronts and cupboard doors, the applications of cord marquetry are numerous. They are not limited to flat surfaces, either. For projects that go beyond standard formats, the workshop collaborates closely with À Mi-Bois, a joinery and interior design company based in Saint-Didier-en-Velay in the Haute-Loire – the home region of Juliette Chazot.

By combining their skills, the joiners and craftswomen can create bespoke solutions for each surface. Examples of this ability to adapt include a cylindrical bar entirely clad in cord, armchairs and a lift whose walls feature the ‘Écailles’ motif in an ivory shade. Each new form requires its own technical study, which is sometimes entirely new, as well as a dialogue between the different trades.

The workshop produces its pieces to order in collaboration with interior architects and designers. Laura Gonzalez, in particular, designed a three-metre-wide door for a Cartier boutique, a project which is featured in her profile on the workshop’s website. Chahan Minassian is another designer with whom the workshop collaborates.

The international dimension is significant: the workshop’s projects are mainly based abroad, and its agents help to introduce this expertise to new specifiers. Rope can thus take the place of a decorative covering that was initially envisaged. Juliette recounts the case of a yacht for which an intricately designed wallpaper had been proposed, only to be rejected by the client. The studio’s Italian agent then suggested rope marquetry, opening up a new direction for the project.

The surprise lies as much in the material as in the result. What one might imagine as a simple cord becomes a patterned surface – sometimes glossy, sometimes matt, always responsive to texture and light. It is this uniqueness that the workshop aims to promote amongst interior decorators, designers and clients.