On moving to Dundee from France in 2013, Aymeric Renoud became fascinated by Scotland’s brewing and distilling industry and in particular, draff, the so-called unwanted leftover ‘wet grains’. Often used to supplement animal feed, Renoud began to explore the possibilities of using draff as material in furniture design. He embarked on a four-year programme of research and development before launching draff studio in Dundee in 2017. At DES 2018, Renoud debuted his first piece of furniture, a draff stool.
Renoud has now further refined the process of turning the spent grain into a stable sheet material. Firstly, the “mashed” wet grains or botanicals, juniper berries for instance, are dried and then combined with an alcohol and water-based binder. The mixture is then subjected to high pressure and heat, transforming it into an eco-friendly material that can be used to make furniture, panelling and work surfaces.
For DES 2019, Renoud has collaborated with Verdant Spirit Company, a Dundee distillery founded in 2016 by Andrew Mackenzie. The city’s first distillery to open in 200 years, Verdant is based in what was once Dundee’s jute quarter. Taking his inspiration from an old hand cart, once used to transport jute, Renoud has designed and built in draff a cart-cum-cabinet, a portable display case for Verdant Spirit.
Aymeric Renoud is a furniture designer and maker who specialises in eco-design. Born in France where he studied Furniture Design at SEPR, Lyon, he moved to Dundee in 2013 to study Interior Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. Graduating in 2015, he went on to become DJCAD’s designer in residence from 2015 – 2017. Selected exhibitions include: Material Consequences at Brompton Design District as part of London Design Festival (2018); Dundee Design Festival (2017); V.A.S. Exhibition, Edinburgh (2016) and FREE RANGE, London (2015).