Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/221571
A LIFE LESSON LEARNED SINCE STARTING CHATEAU DOMINGUE. Fifteenth-century French chapel to be reclaimed by Chateau Domingue If you have an idea, dream or vision and are willing to put your all into it, you have a chance of great success. Yes, you need a practical approach. And yes, there has to be some luck thrown in. I've definitely learned that it takes certain sacrifices in the way of time and freedom. But, if you feel truly passionate about your idea, I say, "Go for it!" I am so glad I did. COURTESY RUTH GAY In her stone yard WHAT ABOUT CHATEAU DOMINGUE BRINGS YOU THE MOST PRIDE? Accumulated fer forge and other iron pieces, including gates, a balcony, metal windows and stair bannisters Our reputation for providing the unusual — we have a unique product mix. I am also proud of the quality we offer, both in product and service. I know of no other company in our line of business that actually looks at each crate of stone in a dusty yard in the middle of nowhere, just to make sure it will be as it should when it arrives for installation; instead, they pick up the phone an d place an order. This is another reason we get the best product out there — my vendors know how discriminating we are. It gives all of us an enormous sense of confidence at Chateau Domingue. An orangerie, circa 1850, from a château in Grenoble, which will soon be arriving at Chateau Domingue Stone bugets from the walls of Provençal buildings COURTESY RUTH GAY WHAT'S IN A NAME: THE ORIGIN OF "CHATEAU DOMINGUE." "Domingue" was my motherin-law's maiden name and is our daughter's middle name. It seemed the perfect fit for my business. A pair of 19th-century French doors opens onto an 18th-century elmwood console, surrounded by 18th-century Louis XIV chairs atop 18th-century limestone flooring. REGARDING THE CHATEAU EXPANSION AND THE CREATION OF TWO SISTER COMPANIES. Pair of 18thcentury painted Venetian doors Pair of 17th-century iron gates from a Tuscan vineyard; Provençal stone fountain; pair of late-18th-century carved stone corbeilles; 17th-century stone table from a Provençal bastide Pair of early18th-century painted doors with frame from a villa near Verona Nineteenth-century colored cement tile We recently turned half of our warehouse into additional showroom space. We opened with 5,000 square feet and are now spread across three acres. Additionally, we recently started two sister companies: Atelier Domingue and Bastide Domingue. At Atelier, we are manufacturing metal windows and doors that complement the European look that Chateau Domingue offers. They are low profile and simple in style, and they can work with any type of design, from contemporary to old world. At Bastide Domingue, we create new stone flooring new stone flooring that looks authentically old. We are so excited about our prototypes and are in the process of sourcing the machinery, which will allow us to mass-produce. Eighteenth-century cheminée with trumeau from a small Provençal château near Uzès Early 18thcentury painted ceiling panel from a Florentine palazzo's salon Nineteenth-century painted zinc coat of arms on a painted wooden plaque from the Duke of Savoy's domaine in the Piedmont region of Italy; Renaissance console table made of walnut, circa 1500 Considering a stone purchase COURTESY RUTH GAY COURTESY RUTH GAY The late-19th-century façade of the Mezze ferry station, now installed at Chateau Domingue