Luminaire Authentik has moved into new premises on Notre-Dame Street West, in Montreal. Nothing new under the sun, you say? True, the custom lighting company already had a storefront in the Saint-Henri district. But she has just moved a stone’s throw away, to a much larger room adapted to her needs. We met the founder, Maude Rondeau, in the bright new showroom.
“We were just a little further, on Notre-Dame. We liked the neighborhood, the location is perfect, “says Maude Rondeau, whom we meet in the room filled with light… and lights!
Same street, same neighborhood, but in a completely renovated place. The old shop was becoming a bit cramped and less suited to the changing needs of the business. “We had a lot of walk-ins, but that kind of went against the appointment service that we also offer. The idea with the new store is to be able to meet both clienteles,” summarizes the businesswoman.
A panoply of models, suspended, on the wall or on a stand, are exhibited in the white and immaculate room. Modulated arches in the wall made it possible to insert the elements of the material library, including the color “bar”. In the center, a large 18-foot-long island dominates the space. “It’s really a work island,” says the company’s founder.
Because, it must be specified, the luminaires are customizable from A to Z. There are therefore thousands of possibilities: 2800, to be precise, if we take into account all the arrangements that can be made with colors, shapes and styles. A huge playground supervised by advisers, all trained in design.
If this Saint-Henri store is the Montreal point of contact, the head office is located in Cowansville, in a former Loblaws. Luminaire Authentik shares these huge premises with other design-related companies, grouped together in a collective called LA-telier Destination Design, which is the initiative of Maude Rondeau herself. This is where the head office is located, but also the manufacturing plant.
In the midst of a pandemic, the Eastern Townships company also opened a store in Toronto and, more recently, a satellite store in Quebec City. Special feature: in this microshop, there are no employees! “It’s a new concept that I put in place,” says the entrepreneur. The idea is that the customer can go and see and touch the materials and certain models that are on display. » Advisors are available remotely.
Luminaire Authentik shares space there with the Céramique Décor store. “We opened in January, and it’s been quite a buzz lately,” she continues. For me, this is a pilot project. If it works well, that’s going to be an avenue I’m going to explore. »
Obviously, a lot of ground has been covered since she launched her business in the garage of her house in Bromont, after deciding to leave Montreal and her job in fashion and marketing. There is no lack of projects for Maude Rondeau, who would like to open points of sale on the east coast of the United States, as well as in Vancouver, in the Gastown district.
Moreover, she recently launched a collection of objects on the sly: candlesticks, tables, planters… Little by little, the company’s mandate is becoming clearer and growing. One lamp at a time!
