Straw Marquetry — Inside Lison de Caunes’ Paris Atelier

Material, gesture, and the quiet luxury of time

In Paris, Lison de Caunes keeps the art of straw marquetry alive in a discreet atelier, far from display or spectacle. Rooted in the 18th century, this rare craft transforms a humble material into a luminous surface, made precious through time and handwork. A quiet approach to luxury, deeply anchored in materiality.

Aragon table lamp in straw marquetry, designed by Lison de Caunes for Doucet.

The Lison de Caunes atelier, a rare savoir-faire in Paris

You have to step away from the city’s agitation to enter Lison de Caunes’ atelier. Inside, silence prevails. Light is essential: it reveals the straw, its sheen, its reflections, its natural nuances. Nothing here moves quickly. The pace is set by the material, and by the hand.

Works in progress rest flat, carefully protected. Even before you understand the technique, one thing feels self-evident: time is a material in its own right. In this Paris workshop, focus is not a posture, it is a necessity.

Interior view featuring a straw marquetry wall by Lison de Caunes for Caroline Sarkozy.

Bedroom with straw marquetry wall panels by Lison de Caunes, designed for Jacques Grange.

Straw marquetry, a French decorative art

Rye straw as the raw material

Traditionally, straw marquetry is made from rye straw. Fine, fragile, perishable, it stands at the opposite end of the spectrum from classic “noble” materials. And yet, when handled with precision, it reveals a singular light: soft, vibrant, almost alive.

In Lison de Caunes’ atelier, the straw is never hidden. It is embraced, revealed, transformed. Its beauty lies not in rarity, but in the attention with which it is seen and worked.

A craft born in the 18th century

Straw marquetry reached its height in the 18th century within French decorative arts, before gradually fading with industrialisation. Today, only a handful of workshops worldwide continue to practise this demanding craft, entirely by hand.

Straw marquetry wall installation by Lison de Caunes at The Woodward Hotel.

A hand-taught, hand-made gesture

Each strand of straw is prepared individually. It is split, sometimes dyed, then glued one by one, following a precise direction. The movement is slow, repetitive, unchanged. No industrial process can replace this combination of precision and sensitivity.

Once the surface is complete, it is polished. Only then does the material reveal its full depth. Light doesn’t merely reflect, it seems to rise from within the straw itself.

Why straw marquetry cannot be industrialised?

The slightest variation in fibre, colour, or direction changes the final result. This element of irregularity is part of the object. It is its signature. To speed up the process would be to lose what makes the craft valuable in the first place.

Detail of decorative straw marquetry by Lison de Caunes at Castelfalfi Hotel.

Graphic straw marquetry installation by Lison de Caunes for the Cartier boutique in Berlin.

When straw marquetry meets contemporary interiors

A natural material for minimalist spaces

In Lison de Caunes’ work, straw marquetry is never decorative in the traditional sense. It seeks neither motif nor effect. Composition emerges from repetition, from alignment, from the logic of the hand.

Applied to furniture, wall panels, or objects, straw acts like a skin. It transforms a space without dominating it, bringing warmth and depth without visual noise.

Architects and designers, drawn to the return of the hand

In contemporary interiors, straw marquetry naturally dialogues with wood, stone, and plaster. Architects and interior designers are drawn to its ability to embody a material presence that is sensitive, quiet, and enduring.

Detail of a straw marquetry wall by Lison de Caunes for Caroline Sarkozy.

The luxury of time in Parisian craftsmanship

In Lison de Caunes’ atelier, luxury is expressed neither through excess nor display. It lies in the time devoted to each piece, in attention to detail, in the acceptance of imperfection.

Each surface carries the trace of the hand. In an era of rapid, standardised production, this deliberate slowness becomes a form of resistance. A discreet luxury, almost invisible, yet deeply tangible.

Graphic straw marquetry installation by Lison de Caunes for the Cartier boutique in Paris.

Decorative straw marquetry installation by Lison de Caunes at Castelfalfi Hotel.

What remains

In the atelier, gestures repeat. Light shifts across the day. Straw continues to catch reflections, like a memory of the time spent shaping it.

Straw marquetry, as practised by Lison de Caunes in Paris, is neither a trend nor a nostalgic revival. It is a living craft, guided by the conviction that beauty can be quiet, and that the truest luxury is often felt before it is seen.

Credits: Lison de Caunes