February Artist Spotlight: Régine Apollon of Kaméléon Atelier

February 24, 2022

It was pure chance that led us to interior designer Régine Apollon. Drawn in by the beautiful storefront of her shop, one of our team members, Fannie, walked into her boutique on Turgeon Street in Sainte-Thérèse in the fall of 2020. Intrigued by our company logo on Fannie's coat, Régine started asking questions, and the two women got talking. Régine was immediately interested in our local products and our custom design service. She had, in fact, been searching for a long time for a company that could bring her many ideas to life, including wallpaper designs that would appeal more to men, something she'd had a hard time finding on the market.

Over time, we worked with Régine on several occasions, both on design projects and on signage solutions for her shop. Every time we collaborated with her, we came away impressed by her professionalism, her endless creativity, and her exceptional eye for design. It quickly became clear to us that her many pattern ideas simply had to become real products.

Photo credit: Facebook, Kaméléon Atelier MRKT

Who is Régine?

After many years working in communications, Régine decided to go back to school to follow her true passions: architecture and design. In 2014, she opened her own design office, and in 2018, her shop Kaméléon Atelier came to life in Old Sainte-Thérèse. Product design, wallpaper included, came a little later, once she found she couldn't find what she was looking for on the market.

Photo credit: Facebook, Kaméléon Atelier MRKT

Kaméléon Atelier

If you have design needs, you'll find everything under one roof at Kaméléon Atelier. Alongside full architectural design services for both residential and commercial spaces, products are also available in her physical shop and online.

For Régine, it's essential that a space feel welcoming, functional, ergonomic, and true to the person who lives in it. That's the mindset she brings to every new design project. She doesn't design a space with a magazine cover in mind; her first priority is always meeting her client's needs. It's also a deeply personal, intimate process for her. She feels genuinely honoured when clients let her into their private world.

"Often, clients don't really know how to put into words what they're looking for, what they want. They lean on images they've seen online, in magazines, or on TV — images that don't always match their lifestyle or the architectural style of their home. With experience, it's through conversation, and by asking the right questions, that you're truly able to understand their needs and desires. One place I love to 'snoop around' to learn more about a client's taste is the closet. That's where you discover their different personalities and their guilty pleasures. Shoes, in particular, can say a lot about a person…"

A blended style

Mood board created by Régine for the development of her collection

Inspired by Brazilian modernism and contemporary African fashion, Régine loves blending different trends to create a space that feels timeless and current all at once. In particular, she's drawn to Brazilian architecture, known for its natural materials, mixed textures, milky tones, and patterns that work equally well in masculine and feminine spaces.

An afro-modern collection

For her debut collection, Régine brings us no fewer than 19 (!!) patterns, available in a range of colors, sizes, and orientations.

Her patterns, inspired by African art, are at once graphic, minimalist, and sophisticated. As she explains it, when you apply an unsaturated color to a busy pattern, it instantly softens for a fresh, updated look.

We're thrilled to introduce you to her patterns, which have quickly become go-to favourites for us: bold, simple geometric shapes that are classic yet remarkably refined!