Claire Danthois wowed us with her chair made from a recycled door at the [re]design stand at 100% Design this year- her Once A Door chair turns a reclaimed door into sculptural chaise that is as environmentally friendly as it is thought-provoking. Driven by an interest in people and their relationship with the world around them, Claire is fascinated with the story embedded in reclaimed materials, and custom makes all of her pieces for a specific individuals, using materials found in that person’s life.
Check out the other masterpieces she’s created from commonly found reclaimed items as well, and see if you can guess what they used to be before they became furniture!
Claire expresses her concern with our effect on the environment by creating interesting furniture using reclaimed materials. The story of these particular items shows through in their design. ‘Grandma’s Bed’ displays the feet of the old bed in their full glory, ‘Once a Door2’ makes use of the letterbox as an unusual feature and ‘Once a Gate’ exhibits similar traits of its former use.
Each item is custom made and personalised to the person it is intended for. The original item sets the scene and when customised with the final user, a physical connection is made. Can this connection bring us closer to the products and the furniture we use and extend their life? We sure hope so!
+ Claire Heather-Danthois
