Maison HENRI

Par Aurore De Granier

Savoir-faire, HENRI © Thomas Raffoux

THE TECHNOLOGY OF EXCELLENCE
We meet Lionel Sherman, president of Maison HENRI, who talks to us about the creation of the company and his long-standing collaboration with Charles Zana.

What is the story behind the creation of Maison Henri?
HENRI was founded by my father in 1960 and has always been based around one profession: electrical engineering. The company was committed to offering new, tailor-made solutions. The 1990s were a real turning point. It was during this period that, by chance, I attended a trade show in the United States and discovered new lighting management systems. They differed from what had existed in the past in their ability to memorise lighting levels and thus create a certain atmosphere. We started offering this to our customers and managed to convince the architects and designers we work with in Europe and the United States that these solutions were the future.

Lighting solutions, but not only that, right?
Indeed, the aim was to offer home control solutions, from lighting to sound, security, natural light control with blinds and curtains, for example, but also video and internet. We quickly became specialists in this field, and to this day we remain one of the few companies able to offer such comprehensive project solutions.

You have been working with architects and designers for many years. How do you manage to combine your solutions with their requirements?
We mainly work on high-end private residences and 5-star luxury hotels, which represent the core of our clientele, and we do so through our business partners, who are architects and interior designers. The main challenge is to integrate our technological solutions into the designs they have created, without ever disrupting them, while offering exceptional quality. Our goal is for our work to remain as discreet as possible in the final result. We must respect the design and be sensitive to it. To make this possible, we communicate extensively with architects, but also directly with clients, which allows us to understand their expectations and ensure their well-being in their future home. Each project is tailor-made.

Can you tell us about your collaborations with Charles Zana? How did this relationship begin?
We worked together for the first time on a project for a mutual friend in the 1990s. And we’ve been working together ever since. To date, we are involved in 90% of Charles’ projects. A mutual trust has developed. For us, it is a great honour to collaborate with him. He is undoubtedly one of the great architects and designers of our time. What’s more, Charles knows the construction industry well, so he understands what is and isn’t possible.

What aspects of your work are most important to Charles Zana?
He attaches great importance to light. Lighting design is therefore crucial. Our goal in our projects is to create an atmosphere using both natural and artificial light. Another key factor is the intuitive nature of our installations. Clients need to be able to understand at a glance how to manage the various technological functions in their homes. Once again, their well-being is at the heart of our profession. •