Franz Laimé, cabinetmaker and straw marker: a passionate craftsman

My name is Franz Laimé, I’m 50 years old, and I became a cabinetmaker and straw marker in 2021. That’s when I set up my company, following a career change. For 27 years, I worked in the theater as a lighting designer, set designer and technical director, always in the artistic world. During my career change, I trained as a cabinetmaker and obtained my diploma. However, there is no diploma for straw marquetry: it’s a discipline I learned on my own.

Cabinetmaking is a fairly traditional trade, quite distinct from joinery. I don’t do staircases, fixtures or windows and doors. My job is to create contemporary furniture, objets d’art, lighting and other unique pieces.
Straw marquetry, on the other hand, is less well known. I use rye straw harvested in Burgundy. There’s only one producer in France who specializes in this material, and he also dyes the straw I use. Once harvested, the straw is cut in half, flattened and formed into ribbons. These ribbons are then glued strand by strand to decorative supports such as furniture, paintings or lamps.
It’s a decorative material that requires a great deal of patience, creativity and consistency to achieve an aesthetically pleasing result. Working time depends on the motif chosen and the surface to be decorated. Although the techniques are readily available, some motifs can be worked on a little more quickly.

My workshop is located in Mesnil-Rouxelin, five minutes from the center of Saint-Lô, in the Manche department. It’s at the heart of a large farm called La Barberie, which is a third-location center for several activities. There’s market gardening, with woofers and wooferesses learning how to grow vegetables and plants, an upholsterer, a ceramics workshop and an organic caterer. This mix of artisanal and artistic worlds is very enriching, as it allows for great exchanges between enthusiasts!

To answer that question, I’d have to go back to my years in the theater. For 27 years, I worked with lighting, an essential part of my professional life. During my training as a cabinetmaker, I discovered marquetry and asked around. That’s when I came across straw marquetry, a technique that has been enjoying a revival over the last ten years. It was revived in France around 40 years ago by Lizon Decorne.
Why straw? Because it’s shiny and natural, with a finish limited to dyeing. Its high silica content gives it a unique shine and luminous reflections that vary according to the orientation of the strands and the light. It’s this glossy, textured and decorative aspect that appealed to me.

Last year, I took a few months’ break, but for the past two months, I’ve been back in full swing. I’ve been contacted by several trade shows to exhibit my creations.

I’ll be at Château Perron for the Talents Normandie show, which takes place at the beginning of May, as well as at the show organized by the Coutances Rotary Club. I’m also planning to take part in the Inspiration Normandie show, in conjunction with the CMA. Finally, if the opportunity arises, I’d love to be at FENO, thanks to some competitions. It could be very interesting.

A small blue bedside table made a big impression. In fact, it’s featured in my ad on the Nohô platform, where I propose to discover marquetry. Another notable piece is a game table I made: it combines cabinetry for its structure, with a chessboard and backgammon in straw marquetry. It was a beautiful piece of work!