Inspiration - Sustainable Materials

This week I have been mostly looking at…….

Rattan

DICTIONARY RESULT FOR RATTAN

/rəˈtan/

noun

1. 1.

   the thin jointed stems of a palm, used to make furniture.

   "a rattan armchair"

2. 2.

   the tropical Old World climbing palm which yields rattan, with long, spiny, jointed stems.

I had a request from a potential client on the Cap this week for some Rattan cupboard doors. Contrary to popular belief there are many modern and fresh ways to integrate Rattan into your home without it looking dated.

My family is currently signed up to a local Antibes zero waste programme so I am trying to integrate this philosophy in my work as much as possible as well as seeking out sustainable materials where I can.

Thankfully The good news is, as far as naturally-sourced materials are concerned, rattan is one of the safest from an environmental standpoint. While the palm tree the material is derived from is geographically limited in location, rattan itself is easily renewable, and the impact its sourcing has on the environment is almost negligible.

Rattan here I come!

Inspiration - The Colour Orange

This week I have been mostly looking at…….

Orange Chairs

Anyone who knows me knows that my favourite colour is Orange. Our home is full of it, so much so that a good friend of ours and his girlfriend call us ‘The Satsumas’.

According to the website Bourncreative Orange is a mixture of the energy associated with red and the happiness associated with yellow.

Orange is also the color of joy and creativity. Orange promotes a sense of general wellness and emotional energy that should be shared.

So there you have it! Orange really is the best colour :)

Inspiration - Japanese Joints

This week I have been mostly looking at………

THE ART OF JAPANESE JOINTS

For centuries before the invention of screws and fasteners, Japanese craftsmen used complex, interlocking joints to connect pieces of wood. I know it might be a little more time consuming but I have started using Japanese joints to construct my furniture recently. Using less hardware has to be a good thing.

Inspiration - Shō Sugi Ban / Yakisugi

This week I have been mostly looking at ……….

The technique of Sho Sugi Ban

Yakisugi (焼杉) is a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation. Yaki means to heat with fire, and sugi is cypress. It is also referred to in the West as Shō Sugi Ban (焼杉板).

The process involves charring the wood, cooling it, cleaning it and finishing with a natural oil.

By slightly charring the surface of the wood the wood becomes water-proof through the carbonisation and is therefore more durable. Traditionally used for exteriors because of it’s durability the technique is now also being used by architects and designers for interior finishes.

I have already tried it out and can’t wait to suggest using the technique to a future client.

Inspiration - Staircases with Storage

This week I have been mostly looking at…..

Staircases incorporating storage.

The possibilities really are endless. Combining your staircase with storage space is a great way to maximise the space in any home. When I was young the ‘Cupboard under the Stairs’ was a dark and dingy space used for keeping the hoover and other random bits and pieces but apart from that it was a relatively useless space.

Oh stair cases how you have moved on!