Hey jute: Designers find new use for old material

Jute is mostly grown in Bangladesh and India, and normally used for coarsely woven products such as burlap and rope. But Briand and Chatelperron’s project Gold of Bengal is dedicated to finding new uses for the material. The designers see jute as a possible replacement for wood and fibreglass, but with a lower cost to the environment and economic rewards for its traditional harvesters.

Briand and Chatelperron combined jute with polyester resin to create a lightweight, stackable piece of furniture. Frédéric Morand of French furniture brand Saintluc is cooperating with the designers to develop a commercial version of the stool.

Check our Shows section for more highlights from Maison et Objet 2013.