Second Life Design Festival: Design Makes Reusing Furniture Desirable

From September 18 to 28, 2026, the Second Life Design Festival took place at the Polygone in Montpellier as part of French Design Week. Supported by Ecomaison, this inaugural edition brought together fifteen artists, designers, and artisans united by a shared goal: to transform existing seating into contemporary creations and demonstrate that reuse can be a true medium for artistic expression.

Making Reuse an Attractive Option

By supporting this initiative, Ecomaison hopes to change the way people view second-life objects. The festival invites individuals to imagine all the other lives and new uses their furniture might take on. For professionals, it demonstrates how design and artisanal craftsmanship create value from existing items.

The choice of Occitanie makes particular sense: 95 reuse organizations contracted with Ecomaison are active there every day. Thanks to their efforts, more than 5,300 metric tons of furniture were reused in the region in 2025, through donation or resale at affordable prices.

• • 95
  • actors

  contract-based reemployment

• • 5300
  • metric tons

  reused furniture by 2025

“Every metric ton reused involves a whole chain of expertise: identifying, collecting, storing, sorting, cleaning, repairing, transforming, and tracking items, as well as finding new uses for them through sale or donation. Our partners have a knack for creating value from what already exists.” Alix Deroubaix, Southeast Regional Development Manager at Ecomaison

How does GAMMES transform existing furniture?

GAMMES, an organization in the social and solidarity economy that has a partnership agreement with Ecomaison, presents an armchair that was entirely conceived, designed, and manufactured using existing materials. Géraldine Marx coordinated its production with Stéphane and Christian, two supervising carpenters, and employees participating in a job-integration program.

This project thus combines reuse, craftsmanship, and the transfer of professional skills.

“We firmly believe that upcycling allows us to create beautiful and desirable furniture—contrary to common misconceptions—while developing and highlighting the skills of employees in reintegration programs.” Sara Asselin, Director of the Work Integration Division at GAMMES

Through this festival, Ecomaison reminds us that a piece of furniture we no longer want hasn’t necessarily reached the end of its life: it can become a resource, a one-of-a-kind piece, or the starting point for a new story.