Midcentury Furniture vs. Contemporary Furniture

We are living in a linear world where raw materials are turned into products that do end up as waste after a very short time. Now imagine we would start to tell a different story. One about circular products that do have multiple life cycles. Imagine a sideboard. One that has been manufactured in the 1950s when good design and quality were more important than quantities, price and pack size. For sure, this piece already made intense experiences with different families during the last 70 years. Not being free of scratches and other signs of use.

But we do have good news: Pieces from that time have the potential for a successful second life. The design and the material allow for a good refurbishment. This is what distinguishes them from many contemporary furnishings that are rather designed for landfill (in the long run) than for a second life. What if old things could become even better than new things by carefully restoring them? This is what we are committed to. (See our New Arivals )

 Where do we stand?

The furniture industry is responsible for a huge amount of waste and has a serious environmental impact. Let´s start by holding ourselves accountable: EU Member States manufacture about 28% of furniture sold worldwide. Most of them are short-lived so that each year around 10 million tonnes of furniture are just sent to landfill by European businesses and consumers. A mere 10% is recycled

When it comes to furniture, reuse activities are low and primarily exist through second-hand shops, charities or online exchange platforms like ebay. Remanufacturing and refurbishing activities are even lower. They are only accounting for less than 2% of the EU manufacturing turnover. Cheap materials and poor design are among the main obstacles to a sustainable makeover. In addition to that, labour  and transport costs  are  high,  making  any  significant  repair  and  refurbishment  costly, particularly  where  re-upholstery  is  required . As a consequence, furniture   is   often not   managed   in accordance  with  the  waste  hierarchy,  with  reuse  failing  to  be  prioritised  over recycling,   incineration   and   landfill. This leads to minimal activity in circular interventions and hinders value recovery for already existing furniture. An unwise tendency, as the main drivers for global warming lie in the production and supply of materials. If we want to move away from a linear to a circular economy, the focus should rather be on the durability of products and the efficient use of materials.

Better be circular!

Let´s return to our midcentury sideboard. With all its scratches. These items carry memories which are worth preserving. That’s why we love to extend furniture lifetimes. Even though it is costly. By adopting a circular mindset, we reduce waste. But we also appreciate the design of that time, and we are happy to keep it in this world – for some more decades. So that you can make new memories, too.