Guess what? What type of rubbish is this little chair made of?

Pia Seidel

31.3.2023

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

Pictures: Pia Seidel

Cedric Breisacher is a designer and sculptor. He combines organic material with minimalist elements. But what type? Join the guessing and cast your vote.

It seems obvious, yet it isn’t a given. Cedric Breisacher collects the waste produced in his studio from manufacturing furniture and turns it into objects that are both functional and beautiful. He presented the result at this year’s French trade fair for interior design Maison et Objet. Can you guess by the following features what the stool «I’m not a waste» is made of, for example? You’ll find the solution at the bottom of this page.

Guessing game

The chair’s material we’re looking for is composed of tiny different pieces, but they all have the same origin. When not compressed, they’re light as a feather and characteristically minute. You can only make something out of them when you have many. For example, to loosen compost soil or serve as floor lining in an animal cage. The fact that the material is soft, natural and absorbent also makes it hygienic.

Solution

The stool contains sawdust from sycamore maple and oak wood. «I mostly use hardwood chips for the 'I’m not a waste' series because hardwood is what I make most of my furniture from,» Cedric explains. To turn the feathery flakes into a solid material, he binds them with an organic glue made from potato starch and water and moulds them by hand: «It’s like sculpting with clay.»

By repurposing the sawdust, the designer creates a circular manufacturing process. In addition, the mixture of natural sawdust and glue makes the furniture biodegradable. This makes the entire «I’m not a waste» series a perfect example of how even the smallest things can have great potential.

This is the sixth instalment of the «Guess what?» series, in which you can use my clues to guess a design piece’s «secret ingredient». Follow me and be the first to know when the next picture puzzle’s out. You can find previously published articles in the series here:

Pia Seidel

Senior Editor

Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.ch

Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.

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