The Great Indoors with Le Tramac

By Judith Wilson

Above: Cassandra Lefebvre de Langue, 25, (above right) and her sister, Anouchka, 27, (above left)

Every now and again, a new business bursts onto the interior design scene, with a product that is totally fresh. Le Tramac did just this in the summer of 2005. Their early offerings were lavishly hand-made and fabulously colourful, and attracted plenty of attention. Now, the Spanish-born sisters behind this exuberant furniture label have taken the plunge to move from their Soho studio, and are settling in the heart of Chelsea. The new first floor showroom, on Walton Street, opened its doors in early March. ‘This is an excellent location for us,’ says Cassandra Lefebvre de Langue.

Cassandra, 25, and her sister, Anouchka, 27, are the duo behind Le Tramac. They are a creative pair, brought up in an artistic household in Spain. Both can remember painting their childhood bedrooms with murals of gardens and jungle scenes, and it is no surprise that they headed straight to London to study the creative arts. Anouchka went to Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design to do Theatre and Costume Design, and Cassandra attended the Chelsea College of Art and Design, where she studied Interior Design and Architecture. It wasn’t long before the pair joined forces. Is it fun to work together? Cassandra laughs. ‘Sometimes not!’ she says. ‘But mostly it is good, because we can be frank with each other and in business you must be straightforward.’

Such honesty is clearly a good thing, because Le Tramac offers a truly original new look. Look at the website, and even the names of the ranges sound fun: Homme and Bombon jostle with the two most popular, Tropique and Lollipop. For the Tropique range, there are chairs, tables, commodes and mirrors, all hand-painted in citrus shades of tangerine, lime and purple. And the headline-grabbing Lollipop range features antique and vintage furniture reupholstered in shiny high quality PVC, in bright green, yellow and red, though velvet is also an option. ‘That looks really beautiful,’ adds Cassandra.

Given the theatrical and vibrant nature of the collections, it’s interesting to discover why the girls chose to launch them in traditional old England? Cassandra pauses for thought. ‘We thought we could be successful with colour in the UK,’ she says. ‘There was a niche in the market, between very modern and minimal furniture, and traditional pieces.’ Now, of course, their decorative eclectic look is bang on trend. Yet reconditioning furniture, by hand, has had its limitations. When Le Tramac started, the girls would scour Europe for antique and vintage furniture, bring them back to their Chiswick workshop, then hand paint and upholster each one. ‘It is very labour intensive – it can take up to three days to do just one Tropique chair,’ says Cassandra.

Which is why, although they will continue the Couture collection, the girls are now launching the Classique collection, reproduction furniture in the style of Louis XIV and XV but still presented in a wacky, tongue-in-cheek mood. ‘Before, every piece was unique and it was impossible to reproduce if a client asked for more,’ says Cassandra. ‘Now we can do two, three or more of a single piece.’ Le Tramac have found a traditional family firm in Spain, specialists in beautifully made reproduction furniture, and are getting their own designs made to order. First up are their ‘headbeds’ called Lolita Banana (from £1,000) and upholstered in jewel shades of velvet. ‘We buy all the fabrics in the UK and take it out to Spain,’ says Cassandra. Coming later will be the Simplement range, currently under wraps.

As for the new showroom, at the time of the interview the girls were in full swing getting it ready for the opening. As well as being on site painting – the walls will be grey, cream and brown, the perfect background for brilliantly colour furniture – Anouchka was just days away from having her first baby. Cassandra is delighted that now customers will be able to visit at any time, not just by appointment only. ‘All the key pieces will be on display, so customers can see all the colours and materials,’ she says. Le Tramac will continue to offer a bespoke service to clients who want their treatment for a special piece, and will also advise on interior design. The girls have designed one house in Spain, and are currently helping a client with the entire interior of his London house.

So if things are looking positive for Le Tramac, is there a long-term plan? Cassandra smiles. ‘We’d like to be international – and open a shop, as well as expanding the interior design side,’ she says. There is no knowing what this enterprising pair will do next, but the future is sure to be very bright indeed.
Le Tramac, First Floor, 69 Walton Street, SW3 2HT, 07789 845056