5 French Makers Creating Decorative Objects from Organic Materials

Danielle & Arlette champion the individuals and small businesses dedicated to preserving traditional craftsmanship, or innovating through groundbreaking and sustainable techniques. For Danielle& Arlette's first blog article on Bastille Day, France’s national holiday—and as a French person myself—let me introduce you to 5 French makers and designers and their incredible talent using organic materials.

1.Alice Lahana's Wood and Clay

Alice Lahana originally trained in fine arts at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. She discovered Design through crafts, experimenting with carpentry during her 4th year of studies. She started with 3D printing but really felt uncomfortable with it for environmental reasons, and turned to natural materials instead, learning ceramics to replace 3D printing. She now works with clay and wood, and will explore other natural materials. I really appreciate Alice's conscious approach that is to say that "today we can no longer produce objects without considering their environmental impacts and without making radical decisions about the materials we use."

You can see her work on her website https://alicelahana-store.com/

2. Henri Dejeant's Papier Mache Lamps

Henri Dejeant lived in Morocco for several years, where he ran a hotel; already drawn to the idea of ​​creating objects, he was inspired by the craftsmanship of local artisans and the way they transformed recycled materials into something of value. He became interested in paper, finding it to be an accessible and highly durable raw material. He began experimenting with the help and expertise of local artisans. Deeply committed to creating eco-friendly interior design objects, he developed a pioneering sustainable molding technique known as "Molding Up," which uses a blend of recycled newspaper, plant-based flour, and plaster of Paris.

Handcrafted in his workshop in Beziers, South of France, the retro vibe and organic shape of his lamps from the INVIDER family (MOM, PAPS, SISTA and BRO) really embody what Organic Modern represent for me.

See Henri's work on his website https://henridejeant.com/gb/.

3. Frank Grossel's Brewer's Spent Grain

Frank Grossel is a trained cabinetmaker and a beer connoisseur. Based in Nantes, and having studied cabinetmaking and Design, he ventured into entrepreneurship to develop his graduation project. He funded this venture by working as a teaching assistant at his former cabinetmaking school, thereby gaining access to the workshop and machinery. After three years of research with brewers, Instead was launched in 2020. In 2023, having partnered with Christophe Pilcher, the company brought production in-house. Their raw material consists of just two 100% recycled, bio-based ingredients: brewers' spent grain (solid brewing residue that brewers often struggle to dispose of) and waste from the manufacture of single-use, bio-based food trays, which they source directly from manufacturers. These two elements combine to create Balt® ("malt wood"), a paste then pressed into aluminum molds. The resulting material is stronger than oak, waterproof, and durable, though currently suitable only for indoor use. Frank and his team are working on a new formulation for outdoor furniture. Their furniture is primarily intended for professional settings (restaurants, offices, etc.). 

What I appreciate about Instead is not only their recycling of brewery waste but also their commitment to the circular economy—taking back furniture to be ground down again once it reaches the end of its life—and their local production approach, which minimises their carbon footprint: all their manufacturing partners are located within a two-hour radius.

Instead's Instagram

4. Dzovag Kotchian's Unfired Earth

Handcrafted in the South of France since 2023, Dzovag Kotchian's creations are made of stabilised unfired earth, using a manufacturing process he developed over several years.

I love the delicacy of Dzovag's creations...and the sweet tooth in me cannot help but see a mix of waffles, lace crepe and Nestlé Shreddies ;p!

Several other beauties to see on Dzovag's Instagram account

5. Laurence Sauge's Mycelium

In 2019, Laurence Saugé founded Boutures d'Objets, a Design and production studio specialising in eco-design and product development using alternative, innovative, recycled, or bio-based materials. The studio works with several designers, all using recycled or organic materials. In 2025, Trained as an engineer, Laurence created some designs for the Mycelium collection, a series of objects made from straw and mycelium, which is the filamentous vegetative structure produced by many fungi. When combined with a lignocellulosic substrate (such as straw, sawdust, or textile waste), it forms a bio composite material with diverse properties. It is naturally soft, lightweight, water-resistant, and biodegradable. The mycelium is grown in molds to achieve the desired shape, then the pieces are stabilised prior to fruiting by drying them at 80°C.

I fond their textured finish absolutely incredible... it's just amazing what Humans can do when working together with Nature!

Boutures d'Objets also work on various decorative objects from organic materials like oyster shells in collaboration with several designers that you can see on their website.

Are Decorative Objects from Organic Materials the Future?

As you all know and can witness now with the consequences of the climate change, finding innovative ways to produce while preserving our resources is vital. Nature is amazing and Humans do wonders when they work with it and not against it. Not only it is better for the environment,, but these organic textures bring warmth in an interior and contribute to a biophilic design which we know is better for our mental well-being. As humans, we need this connection to Nature, even more so now that we are disconnected of everything, even of ourselves, because of the overwhelming presence of the online world.