Le Menuisier Designs and Custom Woodwork

Main Services: Specialized in woodwork ( cabinetry, door, windows, furniture, stairs)

Description: My Name is Jeremy Lancaster, I am the owner of Le Menuisier. I was born and raised in France. Having the double nationality, I had the chance to grow up with both, American and French Cultures. I am a French Master Woodworker.

In September 2000 I joined a traditional craftsman guild in France, and started my apprenticeship in Rennes, Brittany. During two years i was working in a shop making a variety of projects. I learned how to build cabinets, furniture, stairs and restored French oak pieces of furniture that were build in the 1880's. The course of that apprenticeship was six weeks in the shop working under the supervision of my mentors and employers, and two weeks in a training facility in Angers my hometown. The apprenticeship was two years, we passed two exams at the end to prove that we were woodworkers,a CAP and BEP that are the equivalent to a vocational training certificate and a vocational diploma.

This craftsman s guild offered a journey for whom wanted to travel, work, learn and give back there knowledge to future craftsman. So i went on a seven year trip around France and spend a year in 2004-2005 in north-west Arkansas.

During this travel, we are asked to be motivated, willing to work and ready to learn. Every town we would go to, we would be hired by local company on a regular 35 to 40 hours work base. We all lived in a same house charring our experiences and trade. every night we would have classes from 8 to 10 Monday trough Friday and Saturday the entire day. We were tough by our elders or professionals.

There are 27 different crafts, and we choose one to be specialized in.

I started my Journey in Cepoy, a village 100km south of Paris. I learned there a lot about finish products and build few doors and pieces of furniture within six months.

I went to the Champagne region after that in Muizon a village near Reims. There, I worked in a small structure, were I was the builder. The other craft mens were the team, installing everything I build. Within four months I build several stairs, a few entrance doors, and outdoor shutters.

The journey continued in Strasbourg, a big border town next to Germany on the easter part of France. Work was very interesting and diverse. I build and installed a lot a interior doors in this company. made a bar, and several cabinets. After a fire in a restaurant I rebuild two full arched windows with three openings on the same window frame. I stayed seven month in this town.

Then came Paris for a summer, four month were I had the chance to rebuild and restore a library for an international antique broker that was moving there headquarters from La Madeleine to a building facing the Seine near the National Assemble. It was all made with Hungarian Mahogany, the project was quite a success. I worked on restoring a apartment near la Place des Vosges, the wall panels and cabinetry were an interesting mix of modern design and XVII th century Renaissance style paneling.

I came to the USA in summer 2004 and stayed a year. I learned a lot about American ways of work. We installed doors and trim in three major different projects, all high end finish work. By the end of my stay in the US I worked on my own, restoring a house. I build a curved bathroom cabinet and did all the trim work in the restoration of this duplex.

I went back to France to build my masterpiece in La Rochelle. I stayed 14 months in Saintes a small town 70 km from La Rochelle. I worked in a small business were I was in charged of production. I build several entry doors and interior doors, stairs, cabinets for a kitchen and bathroom. We produced a lot of different type of custom windows,some were strait and other arched . By the end of my stay, I made several sliding windows. At the same time I was building a my masterpiece on week ends, a modern Buffet.

I went to Normandy after that, staid in a town called Falaise, were William the Conqueror lived. I made a few doors, in particular five interior doors made out of French Oak. The panneling was XVth century Gothic Style sculpted. Installed a traditional oak floor in a modern mansion in the Percheron's region. I build and installed arched windows in Honfleur.

In October of 2007 I went to Bordeaux, a town I really appreciate with it s unique architecture and culture. I worked in a semi- industrial company. I was given several projects to work on my own and other were I worked with a team. Most projects were windows, stairs for residential building and I made a massive modern hand rail, 48 feet long, for a mansion build in Ireland. They had a cabinet section, where I build Counter tops and Units for the Hospital of Bordeaux, and a conference room, for a Marketing Company.

In September 2008, I decided to finish my Journey by joining the "Foundation de Coubertin" in Saint-Rémy-Lès-Chevreuses. this last year was probably one of the most interesting time of my journey. I was a student half of the year and working in the Foundation workshop the other half. I restored Renaissances woodwork panels, build an entire kitchen with old oak boards from train wagons ( architects and clients desires). I had the chance to work on a few monumental curved stairs, and made two modern desk, boat shaped, for the Qatar. During the school program we were taught history of Architecture, history of Art, we had drawing classes( hand drawing and CAD drawing). We had business class as well as creative writing and discovery of the world through Art, politics, economics and literature. Experts would come to the foundation to instruct us about culture, general knowledge in medical, social, and different forms of Arts. I finished the year passing a final exam mastering in Art and Woodwork.

For nine years I have studied the Art and Skills of Woodwork , cabinetry, finish carpentry and furniture building, in France. An important part of this training is to share experiences with others, to receive and give from our peers as mentors, and to acknowledge and respect the guild elders.

I've been an Austinite for a year now and I just started - Le Menuisier - Designs and Custom Woodwork LLC. My knowledge and expertise in woodwork is big and i would be thrilled to help you or your company to help you with your projects. Feel free to call me anytime.