Etēline by Hervé Langlais
Perched high above street level with east-facing views over midtown Manhattan, Etēline is a new design gallery in West Chelsea, dedicated to French artists and designers.
Having spent years working in high-end furniture sales, founders Olivier Gautschoux, a Paris native, and Nicole Scott, a New Yorker, launched Etēline as a way to offer French designers greater visibility in the American market.
“When it comes to food, fashion, wine and culture, there’s so much French luxury here in the United States,” says Gautschoux. “But when we deep dove into our industry of interior design, product, lighting, art and accessories, we didn’t feel that it had the same level of maturity and thought there was an opportunity to create a bridge between the two countries.”
Located within the staggering 1930s Starrett-Lehigh Building on the banks of the Hudson River, the lofty space required some intervention. With the assistance of architect and interior designer Hervé Langlais, who also designed a custom furniture range for Etēline, the space has been transformed into a bright and supremely inviting gallery – softer than the art world’s traditional white cube but ultimately refined and elevated.
The original factory windows and concrete floors set the tone, but the pieces that fill the space define it. In one iteration of Etēline’s display, there was a monolithic stainless-steel sofa by Pierre Lacroix with olive-green Pierre Frey upholstery, another by Thierry Lemaire with hand-carved oak armrests, pigmented alabaster sconces and a wall-to-wall sculpture by Michel Amar, and a table made from marbled salt by Roxane Lahidji, just to name a few stand-outs.
Representing just 14 artists and designers, the collection is intentionally tight-knit. “The reason we don’t want to expand into the hundreds or thousands is because it’s important for us to share the stories, inspiration and the craft of all of these things,” says Scott. “Service is extremely important to us because we understand how the market works here, and if we didn’t have those one-on-one relationships with our partners, then we wouldn’t be able to be as flexible as we are.”
This tight edit also means the pair can offer their artists and designers a constant physical presence at Etēline. “We’re in a world of exceptional design and craft, and you want to see, touch and interact with the piece. If you only see a rendering or an image, it won’t translate,” says Gautschoux, referencing the oversized chandelier by Stéphane Parmentier for Maison Pouenat – a metalworker in central France steeped in 150 years of history – the scale of which needs to be seen up close to be appreciated.
Gautschoux and Scott are dedicated to uplifting French design stateside. Not only do the two share a tangible veneration for the work they represent, speaking with vigour and depth about each of their artisans and the craft behind every piece – from the interplay of materials on a chair leg to the underside of a pendant shade – they also view the gallery as a hub for Francophiles.
Greeting clients with macarons from a favourite French bakery in the city is customary, and since opening their doors, Gautschoux and Scott have hosted Villa Albertine, a US-based institution that is dedicated to sharing French language and culture. Consequently, Etēline is much more than a design gallery; it is a place to be immersed in French culture, where an appreciation for beauty is intrinsic and the champagne is always chilled.
Architecture and interior design by Hervé Langlais.
