Vincent Roy, is a French designer and cabinetmaker, passionate about the original Scandinavian furniture designs created in the 1920s-1970s by a circle of craftsmen, architects and designers combining works of art with functional furniture for everyday life. Vincent opened the doors of his new workshop to us for 2 hours, sharing his latest developments and designs in high-end furniture.
“The day I started sharing my knowledge, my business exploded.”
Coming from a background of beekeepers, he explains the importance of mindset, the ability to persevere and stay motivated, especially during the first 5 years, which were pivotal in launching his business. Yet it was a completely different career that awaited him in illustration, had it not been for a missed opportunity that prompted him to take a CAP (vocational training certificate) in cabinetmaking, confirming his passion for design.
After starting out by self-financing at the age of 25, he developed his carpentry skills in France, Australia, Cambodia and India. Then, after ten years' experience, he decided to settle in Pondicherry and opened his first “loose furniture” workshop, which does a bit of everything on a Business to Customer basis.He uses only bois recyclé which he has to order in advance according to the quality and availability of his stock.
After 9 years of business in his first workshop, and thanks to the profits made, he decided to build a larger one during the COVID. Today, the workshop employs 35 employees.Two assistants are in charge of scheduling workers and managing the customer list.
Sa clientèle est à 90% d’origine indienne vivant en Inde et à l’étranger avec près d’un container envoyé hors Inde par an. Son catalogue présente plus de 180 modèles.
He shares his secret with us : “for the customer to come back, the product has to be perfect, as does the delivery, and the customer has to be informed of any delays with complete transparency.”
Vincent is also the driving force behind a collective of craftsmen, designers etc., to unite forces at trade shows or for marketing purposes.
Their collective is modern and simple, and communicates via whatsapp. It also organizes companion tours over 2 years, with a masterpiece to present at the end.
Finally, he confides in us the importance of helping each other to avoid being crushed by the big names in high-end furniture. “The day I started sharing my knowledge, my business exploded.”
He also gives us a live demonstration of his work !