Edited by Toby maxwell
MONTREAL-BASED FOR Design Planning has created the interior scheme for L’Île Mystérieuse, a museum telling the story of French novelist and poet Jules Verne. After having unearthed over 300 artefacts from auctions and estate sales over the years, the client dreamed of opening a space where his collection could be displayed.
Above all, L’Île Mystérieuse is the story of a collector’s passion. However, it is also a tribute to the co-owner’s grandfather, father and brothers, who all served as ship captains on the St. Lawrence River.
A real estate opportunity presented itself that allowed the client to convert his dream into reality, and to share his passion for all things Jules Verne with local and visiting tourists. To do so, he created an entire ecosystem around the museum, adding a restaurant-lounge and boutique. The result is L’Île Mystérieuse, named after the Jules Verne novel (The Mysterious Island) detailing the tragic end of his famous Captain Nemo.
This Île Mystérieuse is anchored in a 20th-century building nicknamed the Blue House, to which a new glass extension has been added. The house’s doors, windows and roof were completely renovated, while its stone walls and fireplaces were preserved and restored to their original state.
Above all, L’Île Mystérieuse is the story of a collector’s passion. However, it is also a tribute to the co-owner’s grandfather, father and brothers, who all served as ship captains on the St. Lawrence River.
A curtain-wall extension, housing the mini-museum and boutique, features a large exterior custom-made fresco depicting Captain Nemo’s poignant death on Mysterious Island. The restaurant’s entrance is similarly distinguished by a giant backlit map of the island, while a bay window and porthole portray maritime scenes and sea creatures.
Inside, visitors are immersed in a 19th-century cigar lounge atmosphere, where Jules Verne first editions, works of art, and ship models are displayed. Rattan furniture, coffered walls, and cabinetry details reminiscent of old china cabinets further evoke the essence of the period.
Above all, L’Île Mystérieuse is the story of a collector’s passion. However, it is also a tribute to the co-owner’s grandfather, father and brothers, who all served as ship captains on the St. Lawrence River.
The journey continues around a large circular bar and staircase, in bronze mesh and illuminated with fixtures propelling a beam of light. The resulting imagery is reminiscent of a submarine descending into the deep. On the ceiling, glittering points of light recreate the constellation of Aquarius, Jules Verne’s astrological sign. Perforated metal mesh recurs as a dividing wall between the public area and the dining room benches, adjacent to a bronze arch that marks a bold entrance to the restaurant area.
Above all, L’Île Mystérieuse is the story of a collector’s passion. However, it is also a tribute to the co-owner’s grandfather, father and brothers, who all served as ship captains on the St. Lawrence River.
At the bottom of the circular staircase, the bathrooms are bathed in the blackness of deep water. Customdesigned for this project, the wallpaper features skulls, gloomy-looking fish, eels, and golden coral against a murky background. Under a large mirrored dome at the washbasin, visitors have the impression of being observed under a magnifying glass or through a telescope. www.fordesignplanning.com
