TIPTOE

Tiptoe is a French brand founded in 2015 in Paris by Stéphane Bardet and Mathieu Pataux, two engineers and designers. The brand was born from a simple idea: to democratise bespoke furniture through a modular system of legs that screw onto any tabletop (a board, a door, marble, reclaimed wood). Today, Tiptoe offers a complete catalogue: modular legs of every type (table, chair, bench, desk, sofa), complete pre-assembled tables, chairs, modular shelving and accessories. The Tiptoe spirit can be summed up in a few words: French design, modularity, European manufacturing and eco-responsibility. All the legs are made in France in a factory in Loire-Atlantique. The wooden tabletops come from Portugal and Germany (FSC-certified oak, ash and walnut). Tiptoe has been awarded the Origine France Garantie label for its legs, which guarantees that the majority of manufacturing takes place in France. The brand delivers to more than 30 European countries. The Cool Republic is a Tiptoe stockist in France.

The Tiptoe system is based on a simple principle: screw legs onto any flat tabletop to create a personalised piece of furniture. You buy the legs (in sets of 4 for a table, sets of 2 for a bench, and so on) along with their screws and assembly dowels. You can either buy the tabletop separately from Tiptoe (oak, ash, walnut, marble) or make or salvage your own (an old door, a raw board, reclaimed oak, tempered glass). The system allows for endless configurations: dining table, desk, hallway bench, console, coffee table or wall shelf (with dedicated brackets). The legs come in several heights (43, 52, 75, 90 and 110 cm) and several finishes (matt black, white, khaki, terracotta, light wood, brass, teal). You can dismantle and reassemble them as often as you like, move house easily, or turn a dining table into a desk later on. The strength of the legs is guaranteed for 10 years. It's a genuinely sustainable approach: if you damage your tabletop, you keep the legs and simply replace the top. Ideal for anyone looking for modular, environmentally friendly furniture.

Tiptoe is more affordable than most Scandinavian brands. For 4 simple legs (standard table height of 75 cm) in a standard colour, expect to pay 180-250 euros. In special colours (brass, terracotta) or special heights (110 cm for a poseur table), add 30-50%. For a Tiptoe solid oak tabletop (160x80 cm), expect 350-500 euros. In total, a complete Tiptoe dining table comes to around 530-750 euros, which is very affordable for quality French furniture. On the environmental side, Tiptoe follows a structured approach: French manufacturing of the legs (reducing transport), FSC-certified wood for the tabletops, solvent-free paint, and recycled cardboard packaging with no plastic. The modularity itself is an environmental asset: the system transforms and adapts rather than being thrown away. Tiptoe runs a take-back programme for used legs so they can be recycled. The brand publishes an annual carbon report and has committed to carbon neutrality by 2030. To minimise your footprint, buy the legs from Tiptoe and look for a salvaged tabletop (an old door, a raw board, a flea-market find). This approach can halve the total cost and means zero transport impact for the tabletop.