Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandrine Farges and Jean Khelifi-Duprat.
Sandrine and Jean, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My partner Jean and I decided to live in Los Angeles, leaving France for a while. We were in our 30’s. During 5 years, Jean worked for the main antique stores of the city, restoring furniture and lighting fixtures. I was at this time, working as assistant principal at the International school of LA. Missing our families, we decided to import antiques from France to LA, which allowed us to live in both countries. Jean acquired a knowledge with his experience in LA, and we deepened it at Drouot, and Saint-Ouen, in Paris. We immediately specialized into lighting fixtures, which is the ultimate and most important element in a decor. And we immediately fell in love with this work. It became instantly a passion! In the years 2000, when we started, fashion was onto antique wrought iron or bronze pieces. And discovering that our European culture and knowledge gave us a great taste, we were immediately successful, selling entire containers to the most important stores in LA. I can remember that we bet a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne with a famous store owner, on La Cienega Bd, on how fast they would sell our lighting fixtures! And I have to say that we often were invited! A privacy respect do not allow us to give you the names of the gorgeous stores we worked with, however, we can list a large number of famous actors or singers, we sold our lights to: Cher, Mila Jovovich, Kathy Holmes, Jennifer Aniston, Lenny Kravitz….etc. Our quest for the most beautiful and rare lights led us to Italy, and more particularly Murano, near Venice, for the fantastic glass makers treasures. We established professional relationships and can now find the most rare and fantastic Murano glass pieces. We focus on quality, and therefore, buy mostly great and famous designer’s work such as: Venini, Mazzega, Fontana Arte, Artelight…etc. And we started to work for ourselves, creating our own showrooms. We are now established in Houston: at Antiques of River Oaks, Dallas at Brown & Co., West Palm Beach at Palm Beach antique & design center, Boston at Market Stalls in the design center. We have been working in this business for over 20 years now, and continue to be fascinated by all the treasures of savoir faire we can find. We want to bring those unique pieces to our clients, because their house, their project is the most important one.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We never really had problems or worries, maybe due to our serious and devotion to our passion, and clients. And even the change of styles, from antique wrought iron to mid-century Murano designer’s pieces that make nowadays fashion, instead of being a problem, have been a renewal. All another world of knowledge, of techniques and savoir faire to discover….It’s infinite.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about D’Lightus – what should we know?
What makes us apart, could be our taste. We observe that we are always in advance on tomorrows fashion and style. We are searching in Italy, France for the very best and unique pieces. We focus on quality and stylish lighting fixtures.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I would say that like when you practice an art, you need first to get a very important and subtle knowledge to master your art, but at some point, you need to forget it, to free yourself and follow your instinct, to amplify it. Selecting mid-century lighting fixtures for your clients, with just a little bit of “fantasy”, because it’s a little bit in advance fashion wise: some rare objects that you will not see everywhere and that will still be into fashion 10 years after. A vision, somehow.
Contact Info:
- Address: D’Lightus, Antiques of River Oaks, 3461 West Alabama, Houston 77027 TX.
- Website: www.dlightus.com
- Phone: 713 961 3333
- Email: dlightny@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dlightus
Image Credit:
Miss Jena
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