The start of the year is the best time to reflect on where you are in life currently and to refocus on where you want to be. This revisiting of personal behaviours, ideals and purpose extends to your home and living space since the choices you make in your home reflect the life you want to live.

The throwaway culture that has taken precedence in our society is unsustainable, especially with the horrific impact this disposable behaviour has on our environment. At AUTHOR, we believe in making carefully considered investments for the future, in furniture and interior items that have been made sustainably and responsibly by talented craftswomen and men across the British Isles. These exquisitely made pieces are timeless designs that last. This longevity will bring you much more happiness over time.

Impulse buying and fast fashion encourage a wasteful and habitual cycle of rebuying items made to an inferior quality leaving purchasers out of pocket and unhappier in the long run. We live in a society that believes faster is better which isn’t always true. Slowing down the pace in which we design, create and purchase allows us to truly think about what we surround ourselves with in our homes. It also allows us to re-evaluate our own personal impact on the environment and what our purchasing habits say about the life we choose to live.

Slow Design is a more thoughtful and slow downed approach to design. The longer design process allows more time for research, thought, testing and fine tuning. It takes into account deeper meaning of what we want from the item and has longevity and sustainability in mind. This means creating with local and regional materials and technologies as well as supporting local industries and artisans.

This process then extends to the purchaser. Instead of rushing to buy the latest, fashionable item, customers are encouraged to consider a more mindful approach to pieces in their homes, to contemplate a style that endures and pieces that have potential to become heirlooms. Enjoy the slower pace, take the time to sincerely think about the piece and how much you really want or need it. We ask our customers to truly acknowledge what they want in their home and to invest in high quality pieces made by talented makers and designers who lovingly handcraft their work.

One important value of AUTHOR’s is understanding the provenance of a piece. Knowing the maker, the inspiration behind a piece and how it was made sheds light on the high standard and quality of British design and manufacturing as well as its rich history. It is a positive process for the maker and educational to the customer. This knowledge brings joy to the customer every time they see or use the piece in their home.

This means that these designs do have a higher price point for customers to consider but investing in a piece that is made to a high quality that is going to last eliminates the disposable rebuying process and will save customers money in future.

By focusing exclusively on British made and designed furniture and interior accessories, we do realise it is a big mountain we have chosen to climb, one that we will never conquer if we are judged solely on price. However, we have found that clients want to lower their impact on the environment by buying pieces made in Britain, reducing the air mileage involved as well as to advocate British design and craft.

Customers also appreciate our determination to strive to the highest level of customer service to ensure their needs are met with the utmost respect and professionalism. Furthermore, we have found that our clients appreciate the partnerships we have with our makers, treating them fairly and working collaboratively rather than having a restrictive and dictatorial approach that many larger companies tend to inflict on smaller scale makers and craftspeople. Supporting British makers and artisans and helping them flourish is key to AUTHOR, our own values and those of our clients.

We are looking forward to continue sharing our message, expanding our product range with current makers and embracing new makers into the AUTHOR fold.