The newsletter of raw materials & delicate inspirations by Laurent PASSE,
creative cabinetmaker in Provence
December 2025
LIGHT
For this final letter of the year, I have chosen to look back at a few kitchens that have marked my journey. The oldest—and undoubtedly the most foundational—is the one in Bonnieux, in the heart of the Luberon. While I was initially in charge of sourcing and restoring the antique doors for this project, the owner asked me to design the kitchen of this former papal residence. It was 2006. That moment was a spark: a precise instant when a new chapter opened for me—entrepreneurial, but above all creative.
Later on, the Sublimée kitchen emerged as a defining milestone. It firmly anchored my belief that reclaimed wood can belong in the high-end world, provided its materiality, history, and singular character are fully revealed.
The Provence Kitchen became a laboratory for technical innovation in the service of beauty. I refined the design while developing and validating complex shaping and fabrication processes.
Finally, the immaculate white Dévoilée kitchen extended the work into finishes and color explorations—elements I would later carry into future kitchen projects and furniture pieces: charred wood, Klein blue developed with Ressources paints, cold metalization…
Today, this final project opens the way to ambitious new endeavors that will come to life as early as 2026.
Laurent
The Year in Review
Over time, this newsletter has become a reflection of my work and of the subjects that truly matter to me.
For the past year, it has accompanied my work and my reflections on a monthly basis. Many of you have asked for the opportunity to revisit previous editions.
We therefore imagined The Matières Year in Review—a faithful compilation that reproduces word for word the texts and images shared with you here.
Knowing where you want to go sometimes requires taking the time to look back at where you come from and where you currently stand. This retrospective exercise is both energizing and deeply satisfying, even though I remain fully aware that so much still lies ahead to be built.
I invite you to dive back into 2025 with us, and I look forward to seeing you again very soon for what promises to be a rich and exciting year in 2026.
Nout
Each year, in December, I highlight a table—an ultimate symbol of conviviality, sharing, and the return of light.
This year, the spotlight is on the Nout table, presented in its central pedestal version with a rounded top.
Shown here in a charred wood finish, with a 140 cm diameter tabletop, it can comfortably seat up to six guests.
Le Buffet de Polymnia is in Paris
The Polymnia sideboard, the latest piece in my ongoing patchwork series, is being unveiled exclusively at the AD Antique stand at the Marché Paul Bert – Serpette in Saint-Ouen. My sincere thanks to Adrienne Lebrun for her trust.
Dimensions:
Length 133 cm, Depth 52 cm, Height 84.5 cm
Three-door sideboard in charred and oiled wood finish.
Adrienne Lebrun
Marché Serpette – Allée 2 – Stand 3
110 Rue des Rosiers, Saint-Ouen 93400
T. 06 14 82 28 78
To my Swiss friends and readers, I will be in Switzerland from January 13 to 15. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to meet and exchange around truly exceptional material samples.