Jean-François Bellemère

Born in Normandy in 1972, Jean-François Bellemère is a DPLG-qualified architect and a French designer. He graduated in 1996 from the École d’Architecture des Beaux-Arts de Paris and has focused his career on the worlds of design and architecture, particularly in artistic direction for numerous French and international brands.

In 2003, Jean-François Bellemère founded his design label, Compagnie, based in Paris. The brand’s products are the result of a collaboration between six designers and manufacturers, mainly French. The aim is to showcase fine materials such as wood, terracotta, plaster, porcelain and glass, whilst ensuring that the products embody both exceptional quality and craftsmanship. In addition to creating furniture and objects, Compagnie is also active in interior design.

From an architectural perspective, Jean-François Bellemère focuses his research on the construction and regeneration of residential and industrial spaces, in projects where vegetation is incorporated as a building material. For him, this process stems from a desire to ‘set aside the architectural gesture in favour of a relationship with the land and its context’.

On the design front, Jean-François Bellemère’s intentions are no different. His architectural research centred on vegetation is also reflected in his design work. His environmental concerns are evident, for example, in the principle of using a minimum of material in the Mikado bookcase by Compagnie.

For this model, he uses beech, a timber sourced from sustainably managed French forests. As well as adopting an ethical approach, Jean-François Bellemère has created a piece of high-quality design. The bookcase resembles a sculpture on the wall, showcasing the home’s books in a poetic and original way.