La Demoiselle Bleue, a romantic interlude
FR - La Demoiselle Bleue is a romantic interlude in a boutique with carefully considered, refined décor. A charming touch of poetry that can also find its way into your home through personalised lampshades... Transformed, covered with fabric, drapes... La Demoiselle Bleue lampshades are like the signature of Florence Thonnelier, an expert in this delicate art.
An encounter at the heart of creation
Pleasure to meet you Florence,
Your boutique opened in Uzès in early 2025 and brings its own personal and creative touch to the artistic world of this medieval city. Why did you choose the ducal city to open your La Demoiselle Bleue?
After working in Montpellier and living in Sauve for many years, I wanted to settle in a smaller town with a strong historical character, a profile that Uzès, labelled a Town of Art and History, fits perfectly. It's the ideal place to give my business the boost it needs.
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
I became a lampshade maker after a career change. The opportunity arose at a key moment in my professional life, and I asked myself: What would I like to accomplish, to create? I have always been drawn to manual work. After spending time looking aroung for a new professional approach, such as restoring antique furniture or interior decorating, I gradually realised the importance of light in a home, its intimacy in a way.
As the range available in shops did not meet my quality standards, I decided to train in repairing, renovating and transforming lampshades, both modern and antique, giving new life to lamp bases and family heirlooms with strong sentimental value. This allows me to respond to my customers' requests in a personalised way, offering a wide choice of fabrics, papers... and, of course, a variety of lampshade shapes.
Your trademark is, bespoke, unique pieces...
Indeed, it is quite an art to bring light back into a home. It is a task that combines aesthetics, colour harmony and artistic sensibility. Upholstery sewing has its own specific rules to follow. Pleats, African prints, muslin, organza, Japanese paper and polyphane to laminate everything and provide the necessary rigidity...
Remaking a lampshade is a delicate job that requires a lot of patience. But anything is possible as long as you take your time and respect the selected material. In any case, the lamp base is the starting point for choosing the shape and size of the lampshade that will suit it best.
Ultimately, designing a lampshade can take anywhere from a few hours for the simplest ones to several days for the most complex ones, or even a week. We play with transparencies and textures, sometimes adding lace, pearls, braid... The possibilities are endless, and that's what makes this craft so appealing.
You chose La Demoiselle Bleue as the name for your shop. It obviously brings to mind dragonflies, the airy and elegant nature of these colourful odonates... The fluttering aspect also fits well with your second-hand clothes, shoes and bags, revealing another string to your bow, sustainability and a new lease of life for these accessories...
Yes, that's right. For me, life is an eternal cycle. It's a real pleasure to carry on the family legacy or to have fun with different ways of designing everyday fashion, playing with materials and styles...
I look forward to inviting you into my world!
Many thanks to Florence Thonnelier for her collaboration on this article.
The right address: La Demoiselle Bleue, 4 avenue Général Vincent, Uzès. Open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 18:30, Thursdays from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 18:30. Find La Demoiselle Bleue on Instagram.