Le Petit Métallier: from engineering school to steel

Trained as an engineer, with stints in the army and retail, Augustin Petit rebooted everything in 2021 to become a metalworker in Bordeaux. From his workshop on the Bordeaux waterfront, he designs and crafts bespoke pieces — staircases, gates, railings, furniture — in steel, wood, or both. A straight-talking craftsman who creates real value, on his own terms.

We often picture you in your workshop on the Bordeaux quays, surrounded by sparks. What drove you — after a career as an engineer and a stint in the army — to reboot everything and become a metalworker?

Augustin Petit: It was the need for something tangible! I've always been more hands-on than academic. After managing a surf shop and working with a craftsman in the South on reclaimed wood and metal projects, something clicked. I went back to study for a vocational qualification in metalwork and launched "Le Petit Métallier" in 2021. What excites me is starting from a raw steel bar and ending up with a concrete object that has real added value.

Was it a calling, or more of an opportunity seized at the right moment?

A. P.: Honestly, I wouldn't call it a passion — I'm more passionate about surfing or motorbikes (laughs) — but we've always been a hands-on family. What convinced me was the tangible side of the trade: you build things from scratch, from raw materials, and you end up with a finished project that's genuinely valued. For me, that's real added value — you create something concrete.

As a "petit métallier", what's the scope of what you can create? What are we actually talking about?

A. P.: There are virtually no limits, apart from the size of my machines! My core work is interior and exterior fitting. What I love most are staircases — the ultimate technical challenge, a centrepiece that we design in 3D and dry-assemble in the workshop. But I also make railings, interior steel-and-glass partitions, gates and wicket gates. I love furniture too — mixed steel and wood pieces, or outdoor structures in galvanised steel. I've even made signs and display stands for boutiques. Sometimes we go off the beaten track: I once designed an automated three-metre easel with a winch for a painter. Whether it's small laser-cut pieces or large symmetrical structures, I work across the board.

Your trade is also about relationships. How do you handle working with clients and architects?

A. P.: That's an essential part of it! Around 70 to 80% of my private clients come to me with an idea they found on Pinterest or Instagram. My job is to take that dream and bring my technical expertise to make it achievable, durable and harmonious. With architects — like my sisters here in Bordeaux — it's pure technical execution. They have the concept, and I find the solutions to make it hold. Right now, the big trend is minimalism: making things as slender and airy as possible, with as little visible mechanics as possible. That's where my engineering background helps me make precise structural decisions. We bring a drawing and technical know-how. As for the creative side: I'm no Van Gogh (laughs) — I'm more of a skilled reproducer. But there's always some thought put into how to build something so that it lasts and is done properly.

After these few years shaping metal, how would you define the art of living?

A. P.: It's all about balance and freedom. For me, the art of living means being in control of my own time and no longer being boxed into a rigid framework. It's the daily variety — one day I'm welding, the next I'm on-site installing — that means I never get bored. Creating something with my own hands, something concrete that will stay in the client's home, built from raw materials: that's what gives my work its meaning.

Workshop: 30 Rue Joseph Bonnet, 33100 Bordeaux
Instagram: @le_petit_metallier