Atelier Gris

What Atelier Gris does

Atelier Gris is a custom steel fabrication studio founded in 2014 in Montreal's Saint-Henri neighborhood by Frédéric Barrette and Christopher Mclean, after the pair won a 2014 Quebec Arts Council competition with a steel-and-music artwork. The atelier operates a single workshop at 3810 Rue Saint-Patrick and employs seven people, executing bespoke projects across four product categories: custom steel architectural elements (stairs, guardrails, skylights, doors), custom steel furniture (tables, counters, vanities), urban/public furniture (information modules, outdoor installations), and special projects (exhibition furniture, artistic installations).

The studio's technical core is in-house steel fabrication using MIG and TIG welding processes, supplemented by laser cutting and 3D modeling for precision prototyping and production. The business model is fully project-based: every commission is quoted individually following an email-based inquiry and consultation, with the atelier handling conception, prototyping, fabrication, and installation end-to-end. Revenue is generated entirely from one-time custom commissions, with no subscription, retainer, or productized pricing.

Customers span architects, interior and industrial designers, artists, residential clients, commercial businesses (hotels, restaurants, retail), and public institutions, with notable institutional work including Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal exhibition cases, PHI Foundation exhibition furniture, Shangri-La Toronto installations, Sid Lee's Biosquare at Place Ville Marie, and Ville de Montréal public information modules. Go-to-market is direct, sales-led, and referral-driven, with the project portfolio functioning as the primary marketing asset rather than paid channels. The company is privately held by its two co-founders with no external funding or institutional investment on record, and holds RBQ contractor license 5771-3992-01 for construction and welding work in Quebec.

Name

Atelier Gris

Legal name

Atelier Gris

Website

https://ateliergris.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Atelier Gris is a Montreal-based custom steel fabrication atelier founded in 2014, serving architects, designers, artists, and institutions with bespoke architectural elements, furniture, urban installations, and exhibition pieces produced in-house using MIG/TIG welding, laser cutting, and 3D modeling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Metal Fabrication

NAICS

Machine Shops (33271)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Finishes & Decorative Installations (Plaster, Stone Veneer, Feature Walls) (IMAFANAM)

Keywords

• Custom steel fabrication
• Architectural metalwork
• Welding fabrication services
• Custom furniture design
• Urban furniture manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Fabrication Projects: Atelier Gris generates revenue through bespoke steel fabrication projects, from architectural elements to custom furniture. Each project is quoted individually based on complexity, materials, and scope. The full service encompasses conception, prototyping, fabrication, and installation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Atelier Gris is a custom steel fabrication workshop in Montreal that designs, prototypes, manufactures, and installs bespoke architectural elements, custom furniture, urban furniture, and special artistic projects. The atelier uses MIG and TIG welding processes with laser cutting and 3D modeling capabilities, and integrates materials such as wood, concrete, and glass into steel-based projects for architects, designers, artists, and businesses.

Product overview

Atelier Gris is a steel fabrication workshop offering a complete design-to-installation service for custom steel architectural elements and furniture. The company operates three integrated services: Conception et Prototypage (design and prototyping), Fabrication (in-house steel welding using MIG/TIG processes), and Installation. Their product portfolio spans four main categories: Custom Steel Architectural Elements (stairs, guardrails, skylights, doors, shelving), Custom Steel Furniture (tables, counters, vanities), Urban Furniture (public installations, bike racks, information modules), and Special Projects (exhibition furniture, artistic installations). All metal fabrication is performed in-house at their Saint-Henri, Montreal workshop, with collaborations extending to wood, concrete, and glass materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conception et Prototypage (Design and Prototyping) Technical consulting and design services to help clients select appropriate steel profiles, thicknesses, and assembly methods. Includes fabrication drawings and collaborative problem-solving to materialize design ideas for architects, designers, and artists.
• Steel Fabrication (MIG/TIG Welding) Steel welding and fabrication services using MIG and TIG welding processes. Multi-scale manufacturing from coffee tables to custom stairs and outdoor infrastructure, with all metal fabrication done in-house at the Saint-Henri, Montreal workshop.
• Installation Services Custom installation services for architectural elements and furniture. The team ensures proper placement with attention to site requirements, working respectfully and discreetly to maintain quality and safety standards.
• Custom Steel Architectural Elements Stairs, guardrails, skylights, doors, shelving, and integrated furniture designed and fabricated in steel for residential and commercial spaces.
• Custom Steel Furniture Work tables, kitchen counters, wall shelves, vanities, and industrial-style furniture made to order in steel.
• Urban Furniture Outdoor urban furniture including public installations, artistic elements, information modules, and games designed for durability and weather resistance.
• Special Projects Special artistic and technical projects including exhibition furniture, musical installations, and creative collaborations with artists and designers.

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• Fermob: French manufacturer of metal outdoor furniture. Comparable product category (metal furniture and outdoor pieces) but serves a global mass market from Europe rather than Atelier Gris's Quebec-focused custom architectural model.
• Lambert & Fils: Montreal-based design studio that designs and fabricates lighting in-house. Comparable to Atelier Gris in its Montreal design-studio-meets-fabrication model and similar B2B clientele of architects and designers, but focuses on lighting rather than architectural metalwork.

Broad incumbents

• Tolix: French heritage manufacturer of steel furniture and objects. Shares the steel furniture DNA with Atelier Gris but operates a standardized, globally distributed product line rather than custom architectural fabrication.
• Forms+Surfaces: US manufacturer of architectural products including metal facades, surfaces, and site elements. Comparable to Atelier Gris in custom architectural metalwork for building projects, though operating at a much larger, more industrialized scale.
• Landscape Forms: Established North American manufacturer of site furniture, lighting, and structures. Comparable to Atelier Gris in the urban furniture segment, but at much greater scale and with a more standardized, catalog-driven model.
• Victor Stanley: US manufacturer of site and street furniture. Overlaps with Atelier Gris's urban/public furniture category and shares the public-sector client base, but operates at significantly larger scale with standardized product lines.
• Emeco: Heritage US manufacturer of steel and aluminum furniture. Comparable product category (steel furniture) but operates a mass-production model rather than Atelier Gris's custom one-off approach, making it a broader incumbent in steel furnishings.

Direct peers

• Zahner: US-based custom architectural metal fabrication firm serving signature architecture projects globally. Highly comparable to Atelier Gris in that both operate project-based metal fabrication workshops producing custom architectural elements for top architects and designers.
• Maglin: Canadian manufacturer of site furniture including metal-based outdoor and urban pieces. Overlaps with Atelier Gris's urban furniture category and shares a Canadian manufacturing footprint, though Maglin is a larger, more standardized operation.
• Equiparc: Quebec-based manufacturer of urban furniture, bike racks, and public installations. Direct regional competitor in Atelier Gris's urban furniture segment with overlapping public-sector clients in Quebec.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atelier-gris

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atelier Gris