The story of a bold French company: from Q de Bouteille to QDB Éditions

In 2016, two young entrepreneurs travelled the length and breadth of the French coast with a lorry full of glass cut from empty bottles. Today, their company is called QDB Éditions and collaborates with renowned designers, architects, and perfumers. Throughout this journey, the material has remained the same: glass. Telling the story of Q de Bouteille becoming QDB Éditions means tracing the evolution of a simple idea into a contemporary design house.

2016: the summer of a thousand glasses

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The story of Q de Bouteille began with an idea that seemed almost obvious. “We started with a very simple concept: take a glass bottle and cut it in half to repurpose the object,” says Gauthier. This concept had already been implemented elsewhere, but no one had developed it into a comprehensive range of tableware and decorative items.

At the age of 23, Gauthier and Victoire set off with two friends on a summer tour along the French coast. In their truck, they had only a few items: glasses and vases. By the end of the summer, they had sold a thousand glasses and filled their order book. “We came back with an empty truck and realised that the product had potential,” Gauthier recalls. Upcycling was beginning to resonate with a generation searching for meaning and sustainability.

The first tables and recognition

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The early days were spent building relationships with restaurateurs. Very quickly, Michelin-starred restaurants in northern France began using the cut-glass items. The bottle, a witness to a meal, returns to the table in a new guise. The object’s status changes.

“We were fortunate to have our products on some very beautiful tables,” explains Victoire. Being present in these establishments lends credibility to the young brand. Participating in Maison&Objet for the first time quickly opened the doors to around fifty retailers.

The catalogue gradually expanded. Glasses were joined by vases, and then scented candles. ‘Today, we design, manufacture and market tableware and decorative items. We have over a hundred products,” says Victoire. The company is growing in size while remaining consistent in its choice of materials.

The workshop and the craft

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In Cucq, in the Pas-de-Calais region, the workshop became the company’s centre of gravity. The work remained manual, without large-scale automation. Each piece retains nuances linked to the original bottle’s colour and curve.

Initially, the cutting process involved a basic thermal shock: a wire soaked in alcohol was set alight around the glass. Over time, the process evolved, the equipment was perfected and standards increased. Manufacturing was internalised from the outset, enabling control over every stage.

“Providing the materials and our expertise to continue creating desirable and durable objects” sums up Gauthier. The workshop became a laboratory where glass interacted with other materials, such as stainless steel, marble and opaline, while remaining central to the process.

The sensitive dimension of the bottle

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As the company developed, a philosophy emerged. For the founders, each bottle carries the memory of a shared moment: a lively debate; laughter; seduction. This vision gave rise to collections with evocative names: Danser (Dance), Débattre (Debate), Rire (Laugh) and Buller (Relax).

“A bottle bears witness to moments in life,” says Victoire. Cut glass retains this symbolic significance. On a table, it tells a subtle story.

The brand is also expanding its range of products. Using collage and adaptation techniques, the workshop transforms champagne, perfume and cosmetic bottles. “We adapt our expertise to their containers, which enables us to upcycle all types of glass on a larger scale,” explains Gauthier. The material circulates from one industry to another, from gastronomy to perfumery..

The shift towards design

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For its tenth anniversary in 2026, Q de bouteille becomes QDB Éditions. The name change marks a strategic evolution. The company no longer defines itself solely by bottle recycling, but by an editorial approach open to creators.

The collection includes twelve items, such as table lamps, floor lamps and pendant lights.

“This is the first time we’ve designed a designer’s work,” says Victoire. Glass leaves the table and takes over the space. QDB Éditions is thus affirming its ambition to engage in dialogue with architects and interior designers while retaining its artisanal roots.

Glass marble and international expansion

Research into production waste continues. These fragments have given rise to a new material: glass marble, which can be used for tabletops, washbasin tops, and cladding. The first samples reveal the interplay of transparency linked to the colours of the bottles: green, cinnamon, dead leaf and colourless.

“We’re fully immersed in this glass marble project. The idea is to create beautiful pieces for architects, interiors and artistic projects,” says Victoire. Gauthier also mentions the desire to make the company more international.

Ten years after launching, QDB Éditions employs around fifteen people and has over 180 products in its range. A simple gesture has given rise to a company that has surpassed its initial concept. Glass, a fragile material, has become the guiding thread of this bold French company.

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Vidéo QDB Éditions

1. Une marque née d’une idée simple

Victoire et Gauthier présentent QDB Éditions et le concept qui a lancé la marque : couper des bouteilles en verre pour créer des objets durables pour la table et la maison.