Chateau Des JonCherets: Case Study

Designer: Diane Luna
Location: Saint-Lubin-des-Joncherets, France
Scope: A custom toile-style tile mural, 30" high by 44" wide, for the stove cove above a green cast-iron range

Overview

When designer Diane Luna was asked to design a kitchen in a French chateau, she knew "just any tile" would not do. Her idea was a hand-drawn, toile-style pastoral mural of the chateau itself, set into the stove cove above the range, and she brought it to FLM Ceramics to be made.

Forrest and Beth took on the commission. The result is a mural of 30 handmade 6x6" tiles, each one unique, framed by a border on either side so it reads as its own piece of art rather than a simple tile install. Together they tell the story of place and give a centuries-old space a fresh piece of its own history.

Scope of Work

  • Stove cove mural backsplash above a green cast-iron range

  • Finished mural: 30" high by 44" wide

  • 30 custom tiles, 6x6" each, every one unique and together forming the mural

  • Tile Border on the left and right sides, a design choice by Diane to frame the work and give the mural the presence of a unique object

  • Custom artwork by Diane Luna, imported and edited by Forrest and Beth to work with FLM's silk screen technique

  • Five unique silk screens created for the project, printed to newsprint and transferred to the raw clay tiles before firing

  • Material: unglazed vitrified stoneware, iron-rich, coated with a slip Forrest formulated to suit the French toile style of the 1700s

  • Prototype set: four tiles

  • Full mural: produced in several trial sets, with the best version selected and shipped to the chateaux

From Prototype to Mural

Testing the idea. Before committing to the full drawing, we ran Diane's test sketch on a set of four tiles to see how her artwork would translate to our surface. The prototype worked, and Diane carried the four tiles to France to see them in the kitchen. They looked right in the space, and today they hang framed in her studio.

Making the mural. Once the prototype was approved, Diane spent several weeks completing the full drawing and sent it to FLM. Forrest imported her drawing and edited it to work with FLM's silk screen technique, then created five unique silk screens for the project. Each image was printed to newsprint and transferred to the raw clay tiles before firing. The tiles are unglazed, vitrified, iron-rich stoneware coated with a slip he formulated to work within the look and history of 18th-century French toile. He ran several trial sets of the full mural before choosing the best version to ship.

Arrival. The chateau owners filmed themselves opening the package and assembling the tiles together like a puzzle, with music and French wine. It was the handmade, personal moment the project was meant to deliver.

The Event. In January 2026, the château hosted a Design Preview to celebrate the renovation of its ground floor, the result of an 18-month collaboration among designers, artisans and materials partners. Forrest, Beth and Diane attended the open house, which also featured tastings and a panel on creating across borders and centuries. The mural was a hit

In the Designer's Words

"Forrest's tiles are amazing, there is a rustic vibe to them that is ethereal and yet they pack an impactful punch."
“Once this test set was approved, I completed the full drawing. The drawing took a number of weeks to complete, then went to FLM for print. Forrest does his process by hand, it is so fascinating. He produced several trial sets of the full mural before selecting the best version and shipping it to the chateau.”
"This collaboration ranks among the achievements I am proudest of in a long career, and I would return to Forrest's tile again and again, without hesitation."

Diane Luna, Diane Luna Design

In the Homeowner's Words

"We have been absolutely delighted with the custom backsplash Forrest created for our château in collaboration with Diane. The bespoke tiles bring a unique artistic touch to our kitchen, blending beautifully with the château's historic character while making the space feel distinctly our own. We love living with this piece of craftsmanship every day."

Kate Mery de Bellegarde, Château owner

Photography by Bess Friday.

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Interior photography by Bess Friday and Beth Schaible, exterior photos by