Customis'Air : the art of personalising by l'Union
We were honoured to be the subject of an article in the newspaper l'Union, highlighting the passionate work of Christophe Boudet and the Customis'Air team.
In this article, published on 6 January 2024, the newspaper l'Union describes how we transform aircraft trolleys into unique pieces of decoration, combining vintage design and made-to-measure customisation.
Below is the full text of the article published by l'Union.
Enjoy your reading !
Christophe Boudet transforms aircraft trolleys into unique works of art
Christophe Boudet is exhibiting his creations at the DP Gallery in Reims: a wide range of aircraft trolleys transformed into unique objects, halfway between a work of art and a piece of everyday furniture.
Just a stone's throw from Place Drouet-d'Erlon, Reims-based art gallery DP Gallery has put on a very special exhibition. No paintings or sculptures to fill the space of the luminous room, but colourfully patterned aircraft trolleys. Amongst this display of unique works, Christophe Boudet, founder and manager of Customis'Air, explains his concept: « I recover, rework and personalise aircraft trolleys to make useful decorative objects ». At the request of his customers, the Rémois-based designer transforms these metal trolleys into coffee cabinets, bottle racks, bathroom furniture and so on.
Useful in everyday life, these unique items « that have been around the world between 20 and 30,000 times » before being recycled are also real decorative objects. Both sides of each trolley are meticulously customised by Christophe, sometimes directly at the customer's request. « I customise a lot of trolleys with an automotive theme, because a lot of them are sold at international motor shows », explains Christophe Boudet. But the designer also works with artists, who « instead of working on canvases, do it on trolleys ». Customis'Air has already worked with local artist Christophe Broyard and Lascaz, a French designer specialising in pop art.
A project born during confinement
This innovative concept was born during the confinement period, when the Rémois-based artist bought a trolley « in very poor condition » from a batch of « old things ». Christophe renovated it into a « beautiful decorative object » and incorporated it into his home. « My friends loved it. They asked me to make some more for them and encouraged me to do something with the idea ». After a first successful marketing attempt at the Foire de Châlons, the project was launched.
After just eighteen months in business, he has already produced « at least 150 pieces ». His trolleys are sold all over Europe, and he has developed other works based on the recovery of aeronautical equipment. A victim of his own success, the designer now faces a new challenge: managing growing demand. « I have an average lead time of twelve weeks for an order. I'm also limiting myself to five trade shows a year - I can't do any more than that, otherwise I won't be able to keep up with demand ». However, Christophe Boudet has no desire to give his business an industrial dimension: « I'm not interested in that, I need to touch and work on my pieces myself ».
@_lunion
