Deborah Gtz / STUDIO ADC

family photo ambassador Deborah - Studio ADC

Can you tell us a little more about yourself, your family and what drives you on a daily basis?

My name is Deborah, I have been living in Nantes for a few years. I live there with my husband Axel and our three daughters aged 7, 5 and 9 months.

We are a very close family, we spend a lot of time together. We like to do things together: manual activities, cooking, going to recharge our batteries on the Atlantic coast, going to eat a butter-sugar crepe in the street, reading books, watching movies as a family, seeing friends, simply enjoying life, but stuck together, always (except when the parents need a break 🤭)

Can you tell us about your background and the genesis of Studio ADC?

We met in preparatory class for Fine Arts, we decided to do the same competitions in order to allow our very recent relationship to continue and we were both accepted to the Fine Arts School of Toulouse. We spent a few years there, the time to meet our best friends, party and get our diplomas.

Then we needed a change of scenery, Axel trained as a cabinetmaker while I started a master's degree in textiles. I was finally in the world of work, on a work-study program, I discovered the ins and outs of the textile industry from A to Z, from design to delivery to the store, it was extremely intense and exciting.

At the same time, I have always kept a lifestyle/fashion blog, which evolved over the years to become a trend/decoration blog. I started receiving requests for quotes to take photos. There I saw an opportunity that I had always been waiting for, I stopped my studies a few months before getting my M2, and I started my own business. One contract, then two, then three, I was so happy to have trusted myself and dared. Finally I was in my place. I asked Axel and a friend a lot to help me with projects, I couldn't do it alone. There was an alignment of the planets, all three of us were available and we said "go". That's how Studio ADC was born, the projects followed one after the other, we needed a legal framework, to protect ourselves, our friendship and Axel and I our couple, so we did it well, we each invested and we set up our own SAS.

We worked at home, we said yes to everything that was offered to us, it was a very prosperous period in terms of work and learning. We did a lot of things: creation of a range of 100% handmade objects, a book, scenographies, furniture, stopmotion, photographs, DIY... since then there are only two of us in the studio, and we have refocused our activity on furniture and object design and little artistic direction!

children shadow play

What are your main sources of inspiration as designers and creators?

This is a bit of a generic answer, but it's true: everything can be a source of inspiration!

Everyday life, a combination of colors, nature, but also media like Instagram, Pinterest, magazines, exhibitions, etc. It's vast and varied, when you have a creative sensibility there are images, details that impose themselves on you, that you notice and that become inspirations.

Sometimes I feel like I have a camera for eyes!

What do you like most about your daily work (artistic direction, scenography, DIY, etc.)?

The fact of never doing the same thing! Being a multidisciplinary creative studio, we have many strings to our bow and this allows us to do new things regularly. It's very stimulating.

I really like the start-up phases where you're all fired up, excited about the project with ideas constantly flying around. Followed by the framing phase, which is the one that determines the vision and purpose of the project.

I love working hand in hand with other people, our constraints and our different points of view, I find it very creative and exciting.

drawing and magnets - wall chart

What attracted you to the world of Ma Cabane À Rêves ?

At first glance the aesthetics, I found the products of Ma Cabane À Rêves different from what we were used to seeing. There was a real bias, it was worked on, it intrigued me.

I ordered a first kit around the human body for my oldest daughter and it worked right away. I fell into it.

Then I discovered the creative aspect of magnets, the possibility of using them in the bathtub, of being able to draw on them, I found that great!

How do you use our products with your family? What are your favorites?

The girls have their magnet area at the top of the stairs where everything is freely accessible: the different magnets and the board. It's not very far from the bathroom so it makes it easy to go back and forth to the bathtub!

I sometimes find them creating their own little world, telling each other stories, I love listening to them and observing them secretly!

Here our favorite kits are: the Cupcake game and the Tangram Puzzle shape lab.

They spend hours making cakes and crazy characters, it inspires them.

I'm going to fall for the mouse pack soon, I think they'll like these little mice to dress up!

Anyway, it's simple, we would like to have them all!

wall chart - magnets and drawing

Do you think our products lend themselves well to creativity and free play in children (or even adults)?

Yes, really. Free play is very important to me, we've been fans at home since my first child was born.

I really like the idea that nothing is fixed to a given use and I find that with the products of Ma Cabane À Rêves.

My daughters (and I also like to do it) take ownership of the different universes, mix and match, to create what they want in complete autonomy.

DIY children's activity memory game

How do you integrate creativity into your family life?

For us it is central because it is really in our DNA. The girls always see us tinkering, tinkering, making things so for them it is completely natural. I also make sure that they have quality equipment, and a space available for them to experiment.

They have access to a lot of things (because it's our job) and I often find them making a whole bunch of things, I love it. Axel also lets them use "real tools" like a drill, screws and gives them pieces of wood that they use under supervision of course ;)

I think it's also important to be able to respond to the creative requests of children. When one of them tells us that she wants to make this or that thing, we support her in her desire, it shows her that it's possible.

It's a blessing.

geometric shapes snowman

As designers, what aspects of products Ma Cabane À Rêves seem unique or particularly well thought out to you?

I really like the fact that the magnets are stackable, this allows for infinite possibilities for creativity beyond the classic and basic use of the magnet.

Magnets become games, creative materials and I find that very interesting!

pencil box

Do you have any ideas or desires for a future collaboration with Ma Cabane À Rêves ?

Oh yes, lots of ideas and desires, we are already discussing them together!

I have a very specific idea for a stationery product that I think could be super useful to lots of people because I must not be the only one who wants it, so I'm thinking about it and on the kids' side I admit that the idea of ​​being able to imagine a kit together would please me a lot.

pop magnetic stickers

If you had to describe Ma Cabane À Rêves In three words, what would they be?

Playful, smart and colorful!

storage boxes for magnets

A memorable or funny moment experienced with our products that you would like to share?

During my third pregnancy I received the 9 month magnet kit and I was able to spend a great time with my two older girls explaining to them what was happening in my belly, the stages of development of their little sister, the girls were fascinated and I was very moved to share this together.

Throughout the pregnancy they would change the size of the belly to follow the evolution until the day they put the baby magnets because that's it, there she was, the little one.

magnetic stickers decoration

And finally, the question I like the most: a word of love for Ma Cabane À Rêves ?

Thank you for all this poetry, for the beauty distilled into everyday life with these pretty magnets.

I am sensitive to aesthetics and it is important for me to surround myself with pretty things, I like to share them with my daughters too, especially when it is beautiful AND cool AND well thought out AND durable, when it ticks all the boxes!

Alors Ma Cabane À Rêves has its place at home 🤍

The products chosen by Deborah and her daughters