ÉBÉNISTERIE LOUTAN
A master’s touch

Woodworking is first and foremost a gesture, a particular movement of the hand and the tool. Precise, meticulous and patient, it’s the fruit of a blend of technique, experience and feeling. A manual intelligence that Loutan cabinetmaking has been cultivating with dexterity since 1976. Founded by André Loutan and taken over eleven years later by his nephew Jacques, this Corsier-sur-Vevey cabinetmaker has been perpetuating the art of sculpting material into elegant furniture and beautifully finished woodwork for 40 years.

Family passion
When Jacques Loutan took over the cabinetmaking business in 1987, he was only 23 years old. At no time did he doubt it, his love of the craft running through his veins since adolescence. “My godfather was a former schoolteacher who fell in love with wood and the art of carving it. I was immediately attracted. I was only 13…” His apprenticeship confirmed that he had chosen the right path. “It’s both a craft and a creative profession, and it’s great to be able to appreciate the tangible results of working with your hands,” he says.

Artisan first and foremost
Jacques Loutan has always preferred traditional tools to modern machines. For the simple beauty of the gesture, but also because he remains fiercely attached to the transmission and perpetuation of know-how. In 2015, to complementmanual techniques, the cabinetmaker decided to acquire a 5-axis CNC machine. This major investment enables him to keep pace with the constraints of our times, without denying the roots of his craft. Whatever tool or technique he uses, Jacques Loutan defines himself as “a craftsman, first and foremost”. With his team of eight collaborators, he works mainly with interior architects and decorators on private and hotel projects. Among his achievements are the magnificent furnishings at the Palace de Gstaad.His work can also be admired in the Church of Saint-Léonard, in Valais, where he built Cardinal Schwery’s headquarters. With its contemporary design using ancient techniques, this piece of furniture is probably the best example of the cabinetmaker’s art. The love of the beautiful gesture, anchored between modernity and tradition.

Essences, an essential question

Jacques Loutan is a wood specialist: he has mastered the
specificities, hardness and color of over fifty varieties. The cabinetmaker is particularly fond of the hardwoods that grow in Switzerland’s climate. Among these, he prefers walnut or cherry, which, once varnished, have a beautiful depth. He also loves working with exotic woods, such as Burmese teak for its remarkable texture and warm tones. The choice of wood is of paramount importance,” emphasizes Jacques Loutan. I can remember spending a day choosing wood for a table.

Loutan cabinetmaking is….

1976 The year André Loutan founded the company
1987 Jacques Loutan takes over the cabinetmaking business
8 The number of employees currently working in the woodworking shop
450 Surface area in m2 of single-storey workshop
5 The number of years it takes to dry a log

Wooden furniture itinerary

From forest to finished piece of furniture, time is counted in years.
First cut down in the forest by the forester, who removes the branches
, the tree is transformed into a trunk and
then taken to a sawmill, where it is cut into
planks, 60mm thick. You will then need to waitbetween 3 and 5 years, until the wood is sufficientlydry to be transformed into shelves, bookcasesor kitchen furniture.