All about slow-design

In terms of decoration or even fashion, things have very largely accelerated in recent years. Seasonal collections have given way to almost weekly collections in some stores, pushing the consumer to look for ever more novelty at very low prices. A way of consuming that is not without consequences and that today pushes some brands and consumers to want to approach interior design differently, at their own pace, with slow design!

Slow design, what is it?

If we talk about fast-fashion in terms of fashion, we could also talk about fast-deco, as the production of products in the field has accelerated in recent years. Conversely, slow-design wants to take the opposite of this trend by slowing down the pace, thanks to ecological and ethical decoration.

Alastair Fuad-Luke, an English academic, theorized the slow-design movement already in 2004 by proposing to designers to think of objects that would go in a completely different direction than the many standardized decorating objects offered on the market. All his approach is detailed in his best-seller The Eco-design Handbook, published in 2002. The concept of slow-design was thus born out of a need, and moreover directly echoes slow-food, which, for its part, has existed since the 1980s and consists of supporting biodiversity and culinary traditions.

Here, it is about creating furniture and objects from recycled materials or at least that would be less likely to consume the planet's resources at different levels. Slow-design values know-how and objects that are sustainable over time. What's more, it avoids mass production by favoring unique or limited edition pieces, so you don't see the same model of sofa or vase in tens of thousands of people. 

How do you find slow design?

When you are interested in slow-design and want to favor this type of object for your interior design, it may not always be easy to find where to look. Indeed, small designers do not have the same visibility as the giants of decoration, which makes the addresses where to find them (online as in reality) more confidential.

Online stores that bring together several designers are then a godsend for discovering different products and their origins. At Maison Matisse, we attach great importance to the choice of artisans we work with. It is therefore a demanding selection that is offered to our customers with a very special attention paid to each object.

We take the time to work on the design of our pieces as well as the manufacturing methods used, in order to favor those who use artisanal work. This allows everyone to discover rare and durable objects with true craftsmanship that will make all the difference in an interior design.

How to invite slow design into your home.

As mentioned above, adopting a slow-design decoration item means choosing a unique product or in limited edition, with an environmentally friendly elaboration and which highlights a real craft know-how. These great principles can be applied to everyone's decoration as a whole and thus allow to create a more personal and sustainable environment.

For example, each purchase must be thought through to ensure that it corresponds to one's values, but also to one's desires. Before investing in a new piece of furniture or a new object, it is important to take the time to think about the place you intend to give it in your interior, so that it is truly appreciated and highlighted.

In this sense, opting for a more thoughtful decoration allows you to give back its rightful place to each object and to evolve in an environment consistent with your values and daily habits.

Maison Matisse and slow design

At Maison Matisse we are increasingly leaning towards the practice of slow design. Our primary goal is to pass on a legacy with pieces that last over time.

We are also committed to designing products that are environmentally friendly. For example, the making of our rugs falls outside of industrial standards. Once again, we favor eco-design because no machinery is involved.

Each rug is designed with our designers and made in Nepal in the workshops of our production partner: cc-tapis. The pieces are all handmade there, no acids or chemicals are used and the rugs are washed with recycled rainwater.

On the other hand, Maison Matisse wishes to avoid overproduction. This is achieved by making all our furniture to order, where each piece is made uniquely for the client. The decorative objects and tableware, on the other hand, are produced in small batches, in order to avoid unnecessary storage of pieces.

Finally, Maison Matisse favors the made-to-measure by allowing you to choose the dimensions of some of our pieces. Our customer service department takes care of your requests by responding to them as best as possible, in order to respect your daily needs.