2019

Everything started in June 2019 with a table. The idea was to attach a small shelf to an existing urban bollard; I wanted to create one with my own design and exclusively using reclaimed wood, in the spirit of upcycling. After a few tests to validate the idea, I made a first prototype using wood scraps and a beer can cut in two to serve as an ashtray or a flower pot.

Parallel to my architecture studies (from 2018 to 2021), I developed the object and created a fastening system using wing nuts, which allows for perfect stability. I knew nothing about carpentry and had to learn everything with the help of a Versailles-based association called ADN. I did the best I could: I would collect wood scraps after workshops and projects and make prototypes after classes.

I also created an ashtray that attaches around a post. I performed a few tests on public roads to validate this second idea. I deployed 3 ashtrays on posts in front of metro stations in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. The tests were conclusive: with an original object, passersby are tempted to throw their cigarette butts into the ashtray. My long-term goal would be to prevent thousands of cigarette butts from ending up on the ground and, why not, to integrate them into a recycling chain one day.

After building up a sufficient stock of tables and ashtrays, I toured Paris by bike to solicit restaurant owners. Most of the time they found the object "cool" and "innovative," which encouraged me and made me want to continue.

I remain convinced that we must create a solid urban ashtray to reduce pollution linked to cigarette butts on public roads. That is 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 restaurant owners who were interested at the time. I then came across Maxime, the owner of Sophomore (11^th). A great adventure had just begun.

Everything happened very quickly. I soon understood that there was Demand. I had to create the Supply. Small problem: I had nothing, almost no machines, no workshop, and only my own hands to produce. I then 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 teleworking. My neighbors were lulled by the sound of the circular saw for a few weeks before I found a more viable solution.

Great media coverage allowed me to launch quite quickly after the end of the lockdown. I was lucky enough to speak with a journalist from Le Parisien, which allowed me to get a few clients and great visibility. In the process, I appeared on the 7:45 PM news on M6 and in "L’innovation du jour" (The Innovation of the Day), a segment on Europe 1 radio.

With the help of 2 friends, we found a workspace, which allowed us to mass-produce and meet delivery deadlines. I learned a huge amount, whether in mass production, customer relations, marketing, or even negotiation!

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

2021

After a year and a half of work, I am marketing products made of steel and recycled wood! Everyone has a choice. Restaurant owners can opt for a handcrafted item made of recycled wood, or one made of galvanized steel, manufactured in the south of France!

2022

In parallel with my urban planning studies at Sciences Po, I continue to develop the Urban Furniture branch of Extra Terrasse. I then decide to partner with a French manufacturer located in the Loire region.

Thanks to their expertise and professionalism, that year we released 2 products that I designed: the Mégonette and the Cyclaccroche. In both cases, these are durable and solid products that are designed to avoid anchoring furniture to the ground and thus cluttering public space.

2023

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

"I imagined the Balconie during a party," Félix

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

2024

After selling a significant number of Balconies in 2023 and finishing my studies and my work-study program, I decided to dedicate 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 am taking the opportunity to release new Balconies in 4 different colors!

That year, I was invited onto the set of BFM Business 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 is a real success! I am opening up new markets: Switzerland, Spain, and Italy! I am moving into my first premises in Pantin, in the Paris region, and I am handling shipping and packaging all by myself.

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

In November 2024, I learned that I am the winner of the Pépite Ile-de-France Prize! 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 Pépite France Prize, which rewards innovative and creative projects from student-entrepreneurs on a national scale, among a large network of 5,861 project leaders. This morning took place at the National Library of France and I am very proud to have obtained these two prizes, so a big thank you to the Pépite France network.

To close the year on a high note, I am launching a new product in my outdoor range: a balcony ashtray! Already imagined in 2021 with versions made of reclaimed wood, this model returns but in steel and with a simplified fastening system! It is practical, functional, and offered at an attractive price, making my range more accessible.

2024 has been a particularly intense and decisive year for me. It confirmed that my project has potential, that my products have found their place, and that I can now structure myself further.

2025

In 2025, I decided to give up my premises in Pantin and relocate my stock to Dijon with a logistics professional. From now on, all my available products are shipped worldwide in less than 24 hours!

2025 is also the launch of my first indoor products, a natural evolution after my balcony creations, in order to offer practical objects adapted for the home.

This year marks an important step in the development of the brand with the launch of the Balconnière, a planter designed to complement my range dedicated to balconies. Developed with a landscaper, it was designed so that plant roots develop better than in classic planters, while adapting to the constraints of railings. This new product makes me particularly proud, because it now allows me to offer a more complete and coherent range for furnishing one's balcony.

2026

After more than a year of reflection, I decided to introduce new colors for my balcony products. Sage Green, Garnet Red, Steel Blue, and Ochre enrich the existing shades, with the desire to offer products even more in tune with my clients' worlds and house facades. Today, the project continues to grow, with development accelerating both in France and internationally.

In April 2026, I learned that I am the winner of the FRENCH DESIGN FD100 prize! Supported by the Ministry of Culture, it rewards the 100 design projects that promote French creativity internationally. Receiving this distinction at the Grand Palais alongside designers I admire is an immense source of pride.

In September 2026, I participated for the first time in the Maison & Objet fair, in the (im)Pulse space alongside Pépite France. For 5 days, I had the chance to present my products to numerous professionals from France and all over Europe. An incredible experience, which opens up very beautiful perspectives for the future!