By Christine Lepisto, Berlin

“100% human design” is the subtitle of the enterprise “sofarsonear.” What we find really interesting about this company is the approach: it is almost like the thesis project of someone defending the proposal that you can remain committed to ethical principles and still succeed as a business. In fact, if you look around, you can find the name of one of the partners, Francesca Gasparotti, on papers with titles like “Fair Biz: Reality or Utopia?” (Italian only) or in association with the program for the executive masters degree in ethical management. As it happens, the commitment to local craftspeople and the Fair Trade principles of protection for the environment logically generate items of natural materials. The deliberate intention to design for manufacture in the craft tradition results in products which are an exceptional expression of the simple joy of life, possibly due to their very human scale.

“Living the silk” is the title of a line which incorporates the ancient looming methods of Siam with traditional Thai dying craft and then throws in a twist of digital designs to make the ancient modern. Two lines named “Natural Living” and “Modern Living” round out the selection of furnishings and accessories on offer. Take a look at sofarsonear they are selling only in Italy and the UK so far, but every reality starts with a little imagination! Imagine what you would do if sofarsonear came to a reputable shop near you? And if you have seen sofarsonear in one of the stores representing their work, let us know your first hand impression in the comments!

Syndicated from Treehugger