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Architecture + Design

Discover A California Brand Channeling French Antique Aesthetics

room with wooden armchair, shell-shaped barstool and other furnishings with scalloped details

Photo: Michael Clifford

It’s a sweet nostalgia that informs designer Leah Cumming’s line of L.A.-made furnishings, Maison Madeleine. “Madeleine is my grandmother,” she explains, “and my dad loved antiques—we would go to flea markets, auctions—so I was exposed to great pieces from an early age.”

That passion for handcrafted furniture and a love of France, her former home, as well as stints with Nickey Kehoe, Jenni Kayne and Soho House, have culminated in an heirloom-worthy collection that melds Provençal rusticity with SoCal spirit. “It’s about old-world-meets-new,” she says, noting that the casual vibe of her oak daybed (one of the brand’s latest releases) with its Belgian linen cushion makes it one of her favorite pieces.

“France and California may seem vastly different, but there’s overlap in the use of raw materials, layering and a relaxed feeling,” she adds. “There’s just something romantic about wood—this material is strong and inviting.” It’s a sentiment that will continue to imbue her next collection, due to launch this fall.

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