In the Hautes-Alpes, cabinetmaker Denis Maison enhances Swiss pine

A name predestined for a wooden man. Denis Maison is a cabinetmaker, but also one of the figures of the Maison des artisans du Pays des Hautes-Alpes*, a collective born around fifteen years ago in the valleys of Briançonnais, Queyras and Ubaye. Today, around twenty craftsmen from all generations share know-how, machines… and dreams.

A living showcase

“Here, we are not a multinational, nor a cooperative, but a group,” explains Denis Maison. Everyone respects the rhythm of the other, their style, their singularity.” He talks about phalanstery, transmission, shared commitment. The place is a living showcase: mountain furniture, sculptures, stained glass windows, sundials. A concentrate of high-Alpine folk art, between heritage, local know-how and contemporary creations.

Mountain style and ancient techniques

His workshop is nearby, in Briançon. Larch, Scots pine, walnut… Denis Maison works on them all with passion. But it is the Swiss pine that fascinates him. “It is a tree that grows above the larch, at more than 2000 meters. We find them in particular at the Col de l’Izoard, not far from here.” He speaks of it as a living being, linked by a symbiosis to the speckled nutcracker, this bird which plants its seeds like a squirrel. “They can’t live without each other.” And the man? He extends the life of the tree by realizing his dreams: creating original and authentic furniture.

Denis Maison boasts a mountain style and ancient techniques. The cabinetmaker is fond of chests, these medieval pieces of furniture which were once used to transport dishes and linen to the summer pasture. In the morning, what motivates him? “The desire to create, to work locally, with the essences of the country.” Denis Maison refuses a globalized world where we buy furniture from Ikea. He wants people to touch the wood, feel its softness, perceive its poetry. Like the stone pine, he dreams of a world where the tree, the bird and the man continue to live together.