atelier

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The workroom of an artist, designer or skilled craftsperson, where creative work is done.

   Grammar: Countable: she rents an atelier near the river.

   Patterns

   • an atelier in a place
   • work in an atelier

   The painter rented a sunny atelier above a bakery.

   Fashion students toured the designer's Paris atelier.

   The sculptor spent most of the winter in her atelier.

2. 2nouncountable

   A fashion house or workshop that makes high-quality clothing by hand for individual customers.

   Grammar: Used in the fashion world; often part of a name.

   Patterns

   • the atelier of a designer

   Each wedding dress is sewn by hand in the atelier.

   The couture atelier employs twenty seamstresses.

   Clients visit the atelier for fittings several times before the gown is ready.

Word forms

Common combinations

artist's atelier

The artist's atelier smelled of oil paint and turpentine.

couture atelier

She trained in a Paris couture atelier.

open an atelier

After college he opened an atelier for custom jewelry.

atelier space

They looked for cheap atelier space in the old factory.

visit the atelier

Buyers visit the atelier to see the new collection.

Synonyms and how they differ

studio

Studio is the everyday English word for an artist's room, while atelier sounds more refined and often hints at a French or high-fashion setting.

workshop

A workshop is a general place for making or repairing things, and it need not be artistic.

workroom

Workroom is plain and practical, with none of the artistic flavor of atelier.

salon

A salon is a room for receiving guests, discussing art, or showing fashion, rather than a place where the work itself is made.

Word family

ateliers noun

the plural form, used for several workshops or fashion houses

Commonly confused: atelier or atrium?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “atelier”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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