2019

It all started in June 2019 with a table. The idea was to attach a small tablet to an existing urban bollard. I wanted to create one with my own design and only reclaimed wood, in the spirit of upcycling. After a few tests to validate the idea, I made a first prototype with scrap wood and a beer can cut in half as an ashtray or flower pot.

Alongside my architecture studies (from 2018 to 2021), I developed the object and created a fastening system using butterfly screws, which allows for perfect stability. I knew nothing about carpentry and had to learn everything with the help of a Versailles association called ADN. I did what I could: I recovered scraps of wood after workshops and projects and I made prototypes after classes. 

I also created an ashtray that attaches to a pole. I conducted some tests on public roads to validate this second idea. So I deployed three ashtrays on poles, in front of metro stations, in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. The tests were conclusive: with such an original object, passersby are tempted to throw their cigarette butts in the ashtray. My long-term goal would be to prevent thousands of cigarette butts from ending up on the ground and, perhaps, one day, to integrate them into a recycling chain.

After having stocked up on sufficient tableware and ashtrays, I cycled around Paris to approach restaurateurs. Most of the time, they found the item "cool" and "innovative," which reassured me and made me want to continue.

I remain convinced that we must create a durable urban ashtray to reduce cigarette butt pollution on public roads. That's why I continue to innovate and design new objects!

2020

After a few weeks of discouragement, the Mayor of Paris announced the free extension of terraces at the end of the first lockdown due to the Covid-19 epidemic. I jumped at the chance and decided to call back a few restaurateurs who were interested at the time. I then ran into Maxime, the owner of Sophomore (11th ^{arrondissement} ). A great adventure had just begun.

Everything happened very quickly. I quickly understood that there was a Demand. I had to create Supply. Small problem: I had nothing, almost no machines, no workshop and only my own hands to produce. So I started as best I could, producing a few tables on my balcony in Paris, much to the displeasure of my parents, both of whom were working from home. My neighbors were lulled to sleep by the sound of the circular saw for a few weeks before I found a more viable solution.

Good media coverage allowed me to get started fairly quickly after the lockdown was lifted. I was lucky enough to speak with a journalist from Le Parisien , which allowed me to get a few clients and gain a lot of exposure. I then appeared on the 7:45 p.m. news on M6 and in "L'innovation du jour," a column on Europe 1 radio.

With the help of two friends, we found a space, which allowed us to mass produce and meet delivery deadlines. I learned a lot, whether in mass production, customer relations, marketing, or negotiation!

I am very proud to have created a startup using recycled wood and I want to continue.

2021

After a year and a half of work, I'm selling products made from steel and recycled wood! Everyone has a choice. Restaurateurs can opt for a handcrafted item made from recycled wood, or one made from galvanized steel, made in the south of France!

2022

Alongside my urban planning studies at Sciences Po, I continued to develop the Street Furniture branch of Extra Terrasse. I then decided to partner with La Tôlerie Forezienne, a Saint-Étienne manufacturer located in Bonson, in the Loire region.

Thanks to their expertise and professionalism, we released two products that year that I designed: the Mégonette and the Cyclaccroche. In both cases, they are durable and solid products that are designed to avoid anchoring furniture to the floor and therefore cluttering up public spaces.

2023

After making a wooden balcony table in 2021, I decided to create a new one in steel, which attaches to all railings, even if there is no balcony! Following Covid, city dwellers are spending more and more time at home, particularly because of teleworking and I really wanted to offer a useful product that meets these new lifestyles. I then decided to develop products for individuals by releasing a new product for individuals in 2023: the Balconie.

“I imagined the Balconie during an evening,” Félix

The Balconie is a table that allows you to create a new living space right in your own home, so you can share a drink by the window, place an ashtray and why not grow plants there.

2024

After selling a significant number of Balconies in 2023 and completing my studies and work-study program, I decided to devote myself full-time to my entrepreneurial project.

I then joined a "Pépite", the network of student entrepreneurs of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. I am attached to the CNAM and the Pépite Hesam Entreprendre for 2024 and I then took the opportunity to release new Balconie with 4 different colors!

That year, I was invited onto the BFM Business set and my product was featured in several French and international magazines such as AD Magazine.

The launch of the new colors and the Balconie Grand was a real success! I then opened new markets: Switzerland, Spain, and Italy! I moved into my first premises in Pantin, in the Paris region, and I took care of shipping and packaging alone.

In June 2024, I participated in the Jardins Jardin exhibition at the Villa Windsor Park, where I had the honor of winning the 2024 Innovation Prize!

In November 2024, I learned that I was the winner of the Prix Pépite Ile-de-France! This award encourages and supports business creation projects among young graduates in the Ile-de-France region. It was presented by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research as well as the Ile-de-France region, BPI, and Pépite.

In December 2024, I also won the Prix Pépite France, which rewards innovative and creative projects from student entrepreneurs nationwide, from a large network of 5,861 project leaders. This morning took place at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and I am very proud to have won these two awards, so a big thank you to the Pépite France network.

To end the year in style, I'm launching a new product in my outdoor range: a balcony ashtray! Already imagined in 2021 with versions made from reclaimed wood, this model is back but in steel and with a simplified attachment system! Made in France, it is practical, functional and offered at an attractive price, making my range more accessible.

2024 was a particularly intense and decisive year for me. It confirmed to me that my project has potential, that my products are finding their place, and that I can now structure myself more. It is with great pride that I officially created SASU Extra Terrasse on September 1, 2024.

2025

In 2025, I decided to give up my premises in Pantin and relocate my stock to Dijon, as close as possible to my manufacturer. This choice meets a dual objective: to collaborate with a professional logistics company to better manage the shipping of my products and to reduce the carbon footprint by limiting transport distances. From now on, all my available products are shipped throughout Europe in less than 24 hours!

This year marks an important milestone for Extra Terrasse with the launch of my first indoor product: the Vathie shelf, a wall-mounted Balconie. This product meets the demand of customers who wanted a Balconie but did not have an outdoor space. After creating balcony products, I wanted to diversify my offering to break the seasonality by developing practical objects for indoor use. Available in anthracite gray or white, Vathie fits into all styles and remains 100% made in France.