France may be considered one of the world’s leaders when it comes to food, but the same can be said of their stylistic tendencies. Luckily, thanks to one French style icon, our homes (and tables) are able to be as chic as a French woman’s wardrobe. Step in Elise Pioch, the former buyer at Sydney’s Belinda boutique who turned her attention away from clothing and towards candles with the launch of Maison Balzac. Now the luxury candle brand (based between Sydney and Paris) has just released tableware and glassware, taking its first steps into the entertaining category.

“We feel there is a shift in the way we live our lives; we have slowed down, we have changed homes, we have focused on the essential, we can see clearly that serenity and transparency are the key values of a happier life,” explains founder Pioch of her inspiration for the Maison Balzac brand. “We are expressing this through a new collection made of calming perfumes, spiritual scents, transparent tableware and delicate ceramics made in France, slowly.” The Maison Balzac carafe is already a much loved dining table addition, its popularity spurring the launch of the brand’s first glassplate in shades of pink and azure. The champagne flutes now come in 5 colors; rose, smoke, clear, teal and azure, and the goblets are now available in soft lavender.

But the key component to the new homewares expansion of the brand is the introduction of a collaboration between Maison Balzac and artist Mathilde Carron of Astier de Villatte, the daughter of famed sculptor and painter Pierre Carron. It was the junior Carron who has designed a trio of objects (a plate, candle, and vase) for Maison Balzac inspired by the South of France, and illustrated with a painting from Carron senior. The mini collection is also designed to work in unison and layered with the vibrant glassware produced by Maison Balzac.

Francophiles (and design lovers for that matter) will be able to get their hands on Maison Balzac at homewares stores around the country, as well as online.