A workshop visit with Maximum Paris

On a day off from running our Le Marais pop-up, Sir Plus’ Paris store manager March met with likeminded furniture brand Maximum Paris.

I first met came across Maximum when founder Armand dropped by our Le Marais pop-up. We soon realised that we had much in common, as Armand explained to me how he travels up and down France looking for waste materials to use in his designs.

France’s industries reject a third of its production in the form of scrap. We are talking about 65,000 tons of material every day, all of which is perfectly useable. Maximum uses this so-called waste to create striking chairs, stools and tables. Each piece of waste is considered for its form and method of production, with the team selecting the most suitable pieces to take back to their workshop.

I visited Maximum in Ivry-sur-Seine on a crisp Tuesday morning. There, I watched as scrap materials were melted and ground down to a sand-like substance, which is then transformed again into a stringy, spaghetti-like substance to be moulded into shape. Each piece is hand-finished with great attention to detail, creating colourful designs that can be tailored to each customer. Their approach is pioneering, and offers a creative solution to the ongoing over-production of plastics.

With many of us becoming more conscious of our consuming habits – forgoing plastic bags and leaving non-recyclable packaging at the checkout – it's important to remember the other areas in which our purchases make a difference. We spend most of our time sitting in a seat, whether at home or at work, so why not make that seat count for something?

Read more: A visit with Daniel Schofield