One House, one Family, one region, one Heritage.
And 100 years of creation, craftsmanship and inspiration
A little bit of history...
1911 —
The Fabrique de Meubles de Coulombs is founded by Maurice Gouget.
In 1911, in Coulombs, midway between Paris and Chartres, Maurice Gouget established the Fabrique de Meubles de Coulombs. He began by producing bar and café counters to measure. Later he progressed to Louis XVI style bedroom and dining suites. These creations quickly gained in popularity and became desirable wedding dowries and family heirlooms. At that time the workshop also included a sales outlet that would open for business on Sundays.
At that time the workshop also included a sales outlet that would open for business on Sundays. The moniker “Fabrique de Meubles de Coulombs” was shortened to FMC. “More fashionable, more modern” exclaimed Pierre Hurel who took over the reins of the business in 1948 after wedding Denise, daughter of Maurice. With his experience in wider industry he successfully modernised the family business.
1937 —
Inspired by a piece by Leleu, the manufactory produces modernist furniture created by Loir for the Pavillon Ile de France at the Paris World’s Fair.
1948 —
After marrying the only daughter of Maurice Gouget,
Pierre Hurel succeeds his father-in-law as company director.
1968 —
Philippe Hurel, son of Pierre, takes his first steps in the family business. Two years later he takes over the running of the company.
Having worked his way from ground level up, Philippe Hurel, son of Pierre and Denise, provided the spark to ignite the revolution from royal and imperial to a contemporary style. Neither capricious nor given to edicts but rather endowed with an eye for the contemporary, Philippe Hurel espoused the strength of conviction to combine traditional craftsmanship with present day aesthetics. Robust, virile, elegant and enthusiastic, his style was forged and affirmed in this dramatic but ultimately necessary break with the past. This feat was all the more laudable given that in taking on the world of contemporary décor, Philippe Hurel never once turned his back on the family heritage.
2001 —
Inauguration of the Philippe Hurel showroom on the rue du Bouloi, close to the Palais Royal
2006 —
Construction of the new manufactory on the historical site
Inaugurated in 2006 on the historical site, the new manufactory perfectly reformulates the grand tradition of cabinetmaking while consistently applying imagination and creativity with an eye to the future. This manufactory is also a symbol. For many years Philippe Hurel ferociously resisted offshore relocation and fought to maintain local expertise ensuring de facto sustainable employment. This attitude is reflected in the workplace, now known as Maison Philippe Hurel, in that the majority of employees continue to evolve there throughout their careers.
Similar to the Philippe Hurel showroom in Paris, the Coulombs manufactory has become a window where clients with special orders are invited to come and see just how their furniture pieces are produced. Visitors can peruse operations from the cutting workshop through lacquering, assembly and finishing, as the entire process is located, controlled and overseen in a single area. Nowhere else would you find so much of the rare expertise, craftsmanship and artistry so vital to the creative process, united under a single roof. And only here could the associated bronze, leatherwork and horn workshops be so patiently federated together under the passionate guidance of Philippe Hurel.
2007 –
Maison Philippe Hurel is awarded the French label “Entreprise
du Patrimoine Vivant”
(Living Heritage Company label)
2009 –
Publication of the art reference work Philippe Hurel:
So Français !
2011 –
Celebration of the centenary of Maison Philippe Hurel.
2017 –
Showroom openings in Miami and Dallas
TODAY & TOMORROW
Maxime Hurel, the 4th generation.
Youngest son, Maxime Hurel entered the family business somewhat circuitously in a singular tale of dynastic -succession. After obtaining diplomas in hotel management in the UK and a passion for a hotel industry where only excellence reigns, the young man worked a couple of years for the Hyatt group targeting Asia from his post in Paris. From afar, Philippe Hurel kept an eye on his son. Gradually he began to deftly introduced Maxime to the functioning of the manufactory via the workshops, the showroom, the creative process and business management. The apprenticeship necessitated the patience exhibited by a Hurel craftsman. On the ground there are two very different characters complimented one another. At times insatiable exuberance of an omnipresent father-director, Maxime Hurel responded with his ability to weigh-up, to analyse and to see the bigger picture. From the ground up, Maxime Hurel discovered the world that his father had so passionately struggled to maintain, that he had imagined, created and lived for so many years and that he had transformed into the success that we know today. To the respect of a son for his father was added another form of respect for the man, the boss, the creative force. He now shares that vision of the significance of the talent and work of those exceptional artisans. Like his father Philippe Hurel, who could see that the family heritage must either evolve or diminish, Maxime Hurel is very aware that he in his turn must exceed the past and look to the future.