Materials are the heart of the product and are usually the starting point of many of my designs. Some of my products are by-products of the creative exploration of a new material. Materials are the bread and butter of any designer and significantly influence the products style and ethos.
I am therefore always seeking out new material technologies or reliable sources of 2nd generation materials that can be re-use and brought back to life. Continued research of new and old materials and exploring ways to celebrate them in a functional object is something I dedicate a lot of time to.
Ideally I would love to live in a world where we don’t use virgin materials, but only allow ourselves to use what we already have. Salvaged, reclaimed materials have a fantastic appeal and character, a history that is absent in virgin materials.
The use of non-virgin materials are evident across much of my product range, such as the Strata range, made from reclaimed office furniture or my Inkuku chair made entirely from old plastic bags.
Below is a list of a few of my favourite materials used in past projects:
Felt ~ a non/woven cloth made from natural wool. A strong, versatile material, used effectively as upholstery for the Isabella range.
Bamboo ~ a super fast growing grass, very strong and uses less energy to harvest than regular timber.
Strawboard ~ formaldehyde free, compressed straw or wheat, a waste by-product from harvesting. It took me a long time to find the right use for this material but the Isabella stools are now successfully in production.
Certified spruce ply ~ a well managed European softwood with minimal waste in processing and renewable.
Cork ~ renewable, recyclable material harvested from cork oak trees, preserving these valuable plantations. The TAPE Cork accessory range is great example of how to re-invent this often as boring perceived material.
Hemp ~ strong durable fiber, with low fertilizer and pesticide demand and high carbon dioxide absorption.
Bio/resin ~ petroleum free, bio-degradable and compostable plastics made from cornstarch…excellent! I have been toying with this material for many years and am now on the brink of launching a new line entirely made from this exciting material.
Reclaimed materials ~ timber, steel, aluminum, plastic, fabric can all be effectively reused interesting ways… My Inja chair is upholstered form fabric off-cuts from the fasion industry.
Natural Fiber Composites ~ is a fast growing area especially in conjunction with biodegradable polymers. This petroleum free material is made from planet fibers such as bamboo, kenaf, hemp etc… and bonded with a biodegradable resin.