Peanut butter and jelly. S’mores and campfires. Milk and cookies. Macaroni and cheese. . . Some things are better together. And for me, sustainable and beautiful are also a perfect pairing for this list.
Drugeot Manufacture, Q de Bouteilles, and Almadie are three French brands that similarly support this mantra. And beyond offering sustainable designs du jour, these companies endorse the development of a circular economy where there is zero waste. Now that’s design that I can get behind!
DRUGEOT MANUFACTURE
“The original must be practical, the beautiful must be useful.”
Drugeot Manufacture designs and produces wood furniture and accessories in their workshops in Anjou, France that can be purchased throughout Europe, Mexico, Australia, and Hong Kong. The oak, ash, and beech materials come from sustainably-managed French forests, and eighty percent of their supplies hail from the Loire Valley. True to their sustainable beliefs, the company also recycles the scrap wood to heat their workshops and gives the wood chips to a local farmer for his chickens.
The Elagone lamp and Bric a Brac console table prove furniture and lighting can be sustainable, practical, and a little fun.
Q DE BOUTEILLES
“At Q de bouteilles, we believe that waste is a lack of creativity. This is why we have chosen to make those sacred moments last by giving bottles a second life, once they’re emptied from their wine, and fulfilled with memories.”
Q de Bouteilles, which means “bottom of the bottles”, has been making glass creations, vases, and candles from empty wine bottles since 2016. At their Pas-de-Calais workshop, the bottles are repurposed by local craftsmen through a 5-stage cold work glass process. And since these products are all made exclusively from bottles found in the Glass Valley, they are oh so French!
ALMADIE
“French design at the crossroads of culture and upcycling.”
Almadie produces colorful, indoor, and outdoor products from recycled and recyclable materials that are both sun and rain-resistant. Although inspired by founder Pauline Dreyer’s time in Africa, all items are made in France. The company has, as well, a patented clipping system to ship products flat and reduce their carbon footprint. From placemats and rugs to chairs and planters, this lifestyle brand offers lots of eco-friendly options.
