Vintage Furniture Philosophy - Why Repurposing Matters
Our consumer-driven society has conditioned many of us to expect low prices for things that take a lot of time and energy to make. The disconnect between marketing and making or sales and production is hidden behind a veil…the veil of how it gets made. This gap has only widened further in the more recent decades.
We often don’t question it until we can’t find what we are looking for in the realm of manufactured consumerism and start diving into possibilities of customization. There is a ‘why’ behind all of this that I discovered only after getting into the trade of upholstery. Even working in the Interior Design field did not yield this information, at least not where I was.
In a society that keeps leaning further into instant gratification and endless scrolling of imagery, ideas, and seemingly easy before and afters, we forget where we came from. Maybe we never knew where we came from. Furniture wasn’t always this abundant thing. It slowly shifted and developed along with human use of spaces and interiors. Form follows function.
There is a large conversation about sustainability to be had outside the community of upholsterers, furniture designers, and makers. The world of fashion design has been singing this tune for awhile and while there are some advances being made, the world of home decor and soft furnishings operates in a similar way creating waste from cuts of wood, foam, fabric, and other materials. The difference is mainly in the lifespan of an article of clothing being intended for a much shorter period and furniture, ideally, is made to last decades.
If you vibe with this philosophy and own it as part of your value system to make small choices that add up to having a positive impact on the environment and create less waste.
Reusing or repurposing things that have already been in existence is only one way of being sustainable. Being thoughtful about your purchases and their longevity, buying as an investment, and long-term thinking are all small ways to do your part in leaving a smaller carbon foot print in this world as well as being purposeful in creating environments that are soulful and bring you daily joy to live and operate in.
From the standpoint of a bespoke workshop and in the process of design, waste is created, it comes with the territory. Especially in custom work. Custom means that the project is a one-off piece. Unless it’s purposefully duplicated, it is the only one like it in existence. In a world of mass produced designs and big box stores dictating our design choices, it’s really special to get work done specific to you. Within my own process, I strive to make use of the leftover fabric, scraps, and material that may otherwise be thrown away in larger shops that need to focus on productivity and speed. This is a work in progress and a great effort in reimagining waste, turning it into thoughtful products with potential in the world.