Mireille Herbst
the art of lacquerware

Founder of the ALM Deco workshop, Mireille Herbst is a key name in the world of lacquering. This lacquer craftswoman brings antique furniture back to life and collaborates with designers to create contemporary works. Mireille Herbst also creates her own decorative pieces to breathe emotion into interiors.

The subtle parade of peacocks in lacquer

Lacquer artist Mireille Herbst caused quite a stir at the Revelations exhibition with her new creation inspired by the majestic peacock. Lacquer panels tell the story of the seductive parade through the variations of color that make up the bird’s feathers. To do so, Mireille Herbst has created three lacquers around green, copper and black. The result is the shimmering nuances of the plumage. Blue gradually gives way to green and the feather effects are combined with copper and black highlights. The brilliant shades of color liven up the stylized peacock feathers, ready to fly away under the glass roof of the Grand Palais. The poetry of these large decorative panels and the emotion they evoked required exceptional know-how and hours of work.

A passion for lacquerware

Lacquer and its infinite fluctuations of light have always been Mireille Herbst’s passion. After her studies in graphic arts, she began her apprenticeship as a lacquer artist and joined the historic and prestigious Saïn et Tambuté company to perfect her mastery of lacquer techniques. After a successful transfer of expertise, Mireille Herbst took over the reins of the company and created her own workshop. For 20 years, ALM Deco has been working with lacquer, varnish and gold leaf to finish artistic furniture. Her clients? Decorators, institutions and designers in search of excellence. Such collaborations ensure the creation of exceptional pieces. Mireille Herbst and the designer Grégoire de Lafforest have jointly revisited the notion of folding screens. They have thus designed the unique Ara piece, inspired by the blue plumage of the bird, brought to life by the art of lacquering.

Recognition of exceptional expertise

Mireille Herbst’s company, ALM Deco, was recognized in 2017 with the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label. This prestigious state label distinguishes a French company endowed with a rare know-how, inherited from traditional techniques. This is a true recognition of the excellent work of Mireille Herbst and her team.

The label also guarantees the transmission of exceptional creation and restoration of art furniture. Moreover, the art of lacquering has become a family history. Mireille Herbst’s daughter now works alongside the craftswoman to combine her love of lacquer and the excellence of traditional techniques. What a promise of new flights of bright and colorful feathers!