Pierre Jambe is a Master Carpenter and Antique Restorer in the Greater Los Angeles Area. His work is often commissioned for Showcase Homes and has been pictured in magazines such as Country Homes and Architectural Digest. Pierre takes on challenging pieces that others are afraid to touch, and delivers exceptional results. He is a true artist; wood is his canvas and his tools are his brushes. His artistic calling started from an early age and continues to excite him with each piece he creates.

 

As a young boy, Pierre loved artwork. He could always be found creating things out of different kinds of materials. His father, supporting his interests, enrolled him into a trade school in South Africa where he learned a multitude of trades; from ironwork, welding, plumbing, and electricity. But it was working with wood that sparked his creativity and this is the niche he focused on as a profession.

 

Having completed the trade program in South Africa, Pierre traveled throughout Africa and Asia, finally settling in Belgium. He attended various woodworking schools and it was in one of these schools, in Andenne, where his instructor took notice of his amazing talent and began mentoring him. Pierre’s first experience in carving was a carved, doved-tailed, oak chest. After he created a magnificent coffee table with a parquetry top and turned legs, Pierre knew anything was possible.

 

Pierre did an apprenticeship program in Brussels working for an antique dealer. This is where he had the opportunity to meet an antique dealer from Los Angeles, who, after seeing what he was capable of doing, brought him to Los Angeles where he started working for an antique restorer in West Hollywood.

 

A few months later Pierre decided it was time for him to start his own creations. The first couple of years he worked paying his dues to get the respect of the decorators and antique dealers. Because of his abilities, he remained very busy without any advertising, only word of mouth. Many decorators would give him projects that no other restorer wanted to undertake for fear of failing or destroying the piece. One example was a spanish, 18th century, rosewood antique queen size canopy bed. The customer wanted to convert it to a regal size bed, without making it look like it ever been extended. It was a success!

 

Pierre not only is an amazing restorer, he also designs incredible pieces. All the pieces he creates are one of a kind, with the exception of the french farm tables; even those have a personal touch that separates one from another. Pierre really enjoys the freedom to create his own designs. He does his best work when a client gives him a basic idea of what they want, and leaves the creating to him. Those are the pieces he’s hard-pressed to let go.

 

After 30 years of designing and creating incredible pieces in the United States, Pierre still shares the love and excitement of his youth and has only scratched the surface of his creativity.

 

- Tracie van der Keyl Cannon