In a world of mass produced, replica and me-too products, it’s so refreshing to come across homewares and furniture where you just know so much thought and passion has gone into creating it.
That’s what you’ll find if you visit Textura in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Their high-end interior design products include furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories.
Textura’s founders Laurent Demay and Kenny Hill travel the globe to identify international design talent and import items exclusively to Australia. (Nice gig!)
“I believe that each corner of the world has its own sense and share of creativity driven by the local culture and material made available,” says Laurent.
“Challenges of today’s life have lead to a whole new generation and approach to design combining functionality, intelligent use of material and a strong emotional aspect. These three elements and integrity are what we look for when choosing new additions to our range”.
A good example of sustainable and eco friendly lighting and homewares is the range from young Spanish designer Raul Lauri which is made out of used coffee grinds. Yes you read right! His genius idea landed him an award at one of the largest international interiors trade fairs in Milan last year.
Apparently the idea came about as Raul started reflecting on how he could recycle everyday waste. With coffee being one of the most traded commodities in the world and being such an important part in people’s life and habits, he decided to work around the idea of upcycling the used coffee grinds.
“The end result of a long experiment, lots of patience and enthusiasm is
stunning,” says Laurent. “By using traditional culinary techniques and a natural
binder Raul was able to retain the beautiful texture and aroma of the used coffee grinds. Aesthetic, functionality, sustainability and eco-friendly, all in one.”
And in case you’re wondering, the products do have a faint coffee aroma. Enough to distinguish it up close but not enough to drive caffeine addicts crazy!
For this and other interesting ideas, visit Textura at 41-49 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne.
