Discover the Buffile workshop
At the beginning of February, Vincent and Romain Buffile opened the doors of their workshop in Aix-en-Provence. It was an opportunity for us to learn more about the background to our collaboration with the Buffile workshop.
At the Buffile workshop, the love and work of ceramics has been passed down through three generations. The workshop was founded in 1945 by Léonie Buffile, Vincent's mother and Romain's grandmother, and boasts over seventy years of creative work.
Heir to this post-war aesthetic, Romain Buffile draws much of his inspiration from his grandfather's creations: "90% of the models were created by the first generation. We take these shapes from the 1950s to the 1970s and add our own aesthetic to them".
For our Spring suitcase, we created several pieces in collaboration with the Buffiles. During our visit to the workshop, Romain and Vincent showed us all the stages involved in making our ceramics.
The first step
Working with clay, using their favourite tool: their hands. The clay is worked according to the stamping technique: first by hand and then flattened with a roller, before being modelled in a plaster mould, specially made for this collaboration.
The second step
The rest of the manufacturing process depends on the piece being made. For our LARA change tray, the clay is marked with a stamp to obtain the desired pattern. For the LEXA change tray, the patterns are drawn with the thumb. The LUPA change tray are shaped with a lathe.
The third step
The clay is then dried in the dryer for two to four days, depending on the weather: the hotter it is, the faster it will dry. Once dry, the clay is removed from the mould and then the craftsmen will come and touch up the edges to soften them if necessary.
The fourth step
Then comes the stage of the first cooking: in an oven with a temperature rising to 900 degrees. This first baking lasts about twelve hours: six hours for the oven to reach the maximum temperature and then another six hours for the temperature to cool down.
The fifth step
Once the clay is dry, we move on to the glazing stage. The ceramic is immersed in a pigment bath to give it the desired color . For the manufacture of our LUPA pencil pots, the ceramic is immersed in three different glaze baths to obtain this mix of colors. Between each layer of color, we wait several minutes for the pigment to dry.
The sixth step
Finally, the ceramics are fired again for twelve hours and then, once dry, Romain and Vincent sign each ceramic by hand.
And this is how the ceramics of our Spring Suitcase were made! They are now available on our website, and we can't wait for them to decorate your home.
Discover the Buffile workshop on video: