MONSTER MASH PT 2.
INTRODUCTION.
Welcome to the second installment of Monster Mashup. Last month was a deep dive into anthropomorphized objects, coquette-ish aesthetics, and the creative reimagining of human mistakes. This month, we take those ideas from illustration to mood board as we slowly bring them closer to reality. In the translation from conceptual to concrete, we find more questions than answers.
The quandary we faced most often was how, in an age that thrives on newness, can we avoid making tomorrow’s trash? We know we’re hardly the first to ask such a question. Slow fashion brands have been raising this query since Forever 21 first hit malls and farm-to-table restaurants have been fighting the fast-food-ification of America for decades now. Yet, we wonder how those of us in the interiors industry are managing that same trajectory. How are we reacting to the overproduction of furniture, the waste of new construction, and the lack of soul in mass produced materials?
To our surprise, a peppy little triangle creeps into our minds at this thought. Its three bent arrows, each in an overly saturated green hue, sing out “REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE.” in a chorus of preschool voices. We give pause to think through this bit of 90s nostalgia, at which point we all agree this plan had its flaws. First of all, it was quite ambitious to think individual children would save the planet from systemic manufacturing waste and pollution. Second of all, the recycling system itself was a bit of a letdown. However, we think this now trite saying has some real value in it if we give it a chance. So many of our ideas around righting the industry come back to simply not making more waste at all, but rather using what we have in new ways. Whether it’s sourcing something that would otherwise never see the light of day, reviving what was once radiant, or donating scraps to a worthy cause, we have to admit we’re pretty interested in bringing back our childhood mantra.
CONCEPT 1: PREVENT
INSPIRATIONAL STAGE: REDUCE
Enough is enough. With “reduce,” we explore our capacity to make the most with the least. So often we reach new heights of ingenuity when our resources are limited. History has proven overlooked ingredients make the most delectable dishes and unappealing materials the most moving artworks. This concept begs us to embrace the imperfections of natural materials, reject homogenized aesthetics, and seek variability in life. With so much potential already at our fingertips, who needs anything new?
IN THE WORLD: INTERIORS AND FOOD
To epitomize this concept, we turn our attention to wood flooring. A knotty slab of wood is a prime example of preventing an imperfect resource from becoming an absolute waste. Despite our best attempts to predict what lies beneath a tree’s bark, there is no telling if we’ll be greeted by a clean, consistent grain or a slew of wild burls until it is too late. Should the latter be true, the material’s future is up in the air. Will it be delegated to a low grade bargain bin? Will it be scrapped entirely? Or will someone see its beauty, bucking the trend of unnaturally unmarred floors in favor of planks steeped in life and all its imprecision? We have reason to believe that the third option is due to come into fashion. In efforts to reduce their footprints, we see a number of companies favoring existing and flawed resources over the creation of new ones. Most obvious is Imperfect Foods, who revolutionized the produce industry by bringing funky ingredients deemed “unsellable” straight to the hands of the home cooks. For a more design centric example, we turn our attention to Disciplina, a Mexico City based firm intercepting broken slabs of marble on their way to the landfill. Founder Tomás Díaz Cedeño combines these pieces with scraps from other creative projects, turning them into a full collection of tables and stools. Finally, we look to Natural Material Studio, who is exploring the potential of overlooked underwater resources as alternatives to new plastics. Their research leads to Alger, a biomaterial composed of highly prevalent seaweed and algae, that can replace the use of polyester in drapery and textiles. Each display further solidifies our hypothesis that we’ve already got everything we need if we just open our eyes.
CONCEPT 2: REVIVE
INSPIRATIONAL STAGE: REUSE
One lady’s trash is another’s treasure. “Reuse” is all about creating novelty out of old news. It thrives on our ability to see beyond the tired objects that surround us and into a world of possibilities from new functions to applications and sensorial combinations. This concept encourages us to recontextualize old objects, unite disparate materials, and most importantly breathe new life into discarded ideas. How would our world look if we saw value in everything?
IN THE WORLD: INTERIORS AND ATTIRE
If “Reduce” is typified through knotty flooring, “Reuse” must be reclaimed hardwood. It has lived a full life in someone’s home, office, shop, or what have you, and has the marks to prove it. While some may overlook its value, seeing only its scrapes and scuffs, a more considerate eye can spot a material that keeps on giving. A simple sand and stain transforms weathered planks into a limitless surface that can absorb and reflect any number of personalities. Its a miraculous feat to adapt with the times, especially with such minimal effort. However, as humankind beings to age well into our triple digits, it is becoming increasingly clear that we and our surroundings will have to do just that. Thankfully, a number of creatives are testing and establishing approaches to a “maintain don’t make” philosophy that relies on the restoration of parts over the generation of whole new objects. A perfect example is fashion brand Bode. The label prides itself on their use of historic techniques to convert vintage equine fabrics into strikingly contemporary suits and outerwear. In terms of interiors, designer Yinka Ilori regularly mines his Nigerian roots to find the second, third, and hundredth life of his materials. His chairs rely on heavily patterned, reclaimed textiles that not only address the environment, but tell stories of his home, friends, and society. Looking beyond the materials, designers such as Michelle Dirkse are rehoming entire furniture pieces. Her efforts to revive antiques sees the conversion of buffets into vanities with the introduction of new finishes and functional details like pull-out storage. Each example is testament to the modernity that can be achieved through heritage craft and vintage materials, making us wonder if the only newness we need is our own creativity.
CONCEPT 3: GIVE BACK
INSPIRATIONAL STAGE: RECYCLE
We’re better together. “Recycle” is dedicated to making a whole far greater than its parts. It seeks to pump up clout through the amalgamation of scraps, strengthening the individual pieces through their newfound collectiveness. This theme celebrates the beauty in dapples, value in binding agents, and joy in an efficient use of discards. Why seek something complete when we have all the pieces and prowess to build it ourselves?
IN THE WORLD: INTERIORS AND ATTIRE
“Reduce” is knotty, “Reuse” is reclaimed, and “Recycle” is the one and only parquet. Though exquisite in its craft, parquet is far more than an haughty status symbol. Its quilted approach allows for a variety of materials, some well matched, some overtly dissonant, to sit side by side with intention. It is a poster child for the elevation of remnants into a highly sought after aesthetic. This mindset may be old as Aristotle, but is gaining traction as creators across the globe take it on in new ways today. The most direct interpretation of this is the increase of recycled terrazzo materials, most beautifully visualized by Livden. The material is a composite of recycled glass, porcelain and consumer products, creating a wide range of chunky, variable textures. STACKLAB takes a different approach to recycling with their Felt armchair. The team partners with a nearby acoustic panel manufacturer who provides their offcuts, which is then utilized to craft an ergonomic chair that makes use of the unique shapes and materiality. Going a step further, we turn to the birth of Blue Sky Lab (BSL), a fashion brand from the minds of Chinese car manufacturer Nio. BSL exists to make use of the leftover seat belts, airbags, and chair textiles, upcycling the automotive materials into high end streetwear with added functional benefits such as their lightweight or waterproof nature. When odds and ends are positioned properly, they can be worth the world.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Where do you see the tenets of reduce, reuse and recycle in design? Join the conversation and stay tuned for the application of these concepts in our current projects.