I. The Building

Before there was a store, there was a building. One of the oldest in Knowlton — a farmhouse dating to 1893, with a barn at its back and more than a century of memory in its walls. It stood at the edge of the downtown core, watching the town change around it across generations.

In the 1980s, it was home to LL Brome, a factory outlet that drew crowds from Montréal during Knowlton’s commercial heyday — a moment when the town was very much on the map, and this building was at the centre of it.

Joëlle Chartrand and her husband Eamonn bought the building a few years ago, not for any single purpose, but out of a conviction: that a building this rooted in the town’s history should give something back to it. Home — for the farmhouse. Brome — for the lake, and for LL Brome, the store that once made this address legendary.

II. The Vision

The idea began with Joëlle — a store that reflected who Knowlton actually was. Not a tourist shop. Not a chain. Something that celebrated the makers of the region, the heritage of this particular corner of Québec, and the enduring quality of things crafted with care and intention. It was the kind of idea that finds the right people quickly. Eamonn saw it immediately.

Together, they had spent years building and scaling businesses of serious ambition. They knew the difference between an idea that sounds good and one that actually changes a place. This was the latter. And it was only the beginning.

III. The Partnership

Maxime Vandal and Richard Ouellette — architect and designer, life partners, and the creative force behind Les Ensembliers — heard about Maison Brome before it had walls. Québec’s first fully integrated architecture, design, and build practice, Les Ensembliers had spent two decades earning a reputation that extended well beyond Canada: featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Veranda, and House & Home.

When they heard about Maison Brome, they didn’t hesitate. They asked if they could be part of it. Richard, it turned out, had long held a quiet dream of a curated retail space — a room where the makers he believed in could finally be seen.

Four people with aligned instincts, complementary skills, and a shared belief in doing things properly, moving faster than anyone around them thought was wise. They jumped. It’s what people like this do.