Old windows are often beautiful, especially when the glass settles, creating fuzzy patterns in the panes. Unfortunately, old windows are also incredibly inefficient, making houses colder or hotter than necessary (sometimes even uninhabitable). There is now “a new alternative so that the abandoned windows may be transformed into sophisticated furniture.” The brainchild of designers Damien Hamon and Olivier Papet, Le Tabouret (stool in English) is a stool or table constructed of cut window frames.

Le Tabouret. Designed by Damien Hamon and Olivier Papet. Offered by Outdoorz Gallery.

Stool/Table Reuses French Window Frames

Offered by Parisian furniture company Outdoorz Gallery, Le Tabouret is made in France. The window frames “come from historic chateaux, country cottages, Paris apartments.” Time gives a patina to all the window frames: some are faded while others show different layers of paint. Le Tabouret comes in white or assorted colors, though either option showcases nuanced gradations of color. The stool measures 30 cm in diameter and 40 cm in height or 60 cm in diameter and 40 cm in height. Either size works in many spaces—and the leather belt holding the piece together gives Le Tabouret a hint of functionality and playfulness.

The designers behind this one-of-a-kind piece “are proposing a new alternative so that the abandoned windows may be transformed into sophisticated furniture.” The idea is to reuse forgotten windows “by transcending the functional to attain elegance.” Each stool brings with it a long history. As such, users of Le Tabouret can use their imaginations to create stories for each piece of wood in every stool—making this a true conversation piece. Outdoorz Gallery also offers Le Console, Le Buffet, and Le Semanier by Damien and Olivier.

About the Gallery: Located in Paris, Outdoorz Gallery offers a collection of limited edition and artisan furniture pieces that are suitable for outdoor use. The company is run by Deborah Sommers and Beth Boutry, who believe that “there is a place for, even a need for, design that stays in the hand of the creator.” Outdoorz Gallery represents the work of independent, international designers who “translate traditional craft into contemporary style.”