Here is the second part of the interview with Hugo Delavelle. You will discover where his inspirations come from. He will also share his opinion on multifunctional furniture and sustainable furniture.
In your opinion, do decoration and, consequently, sustainable furniture have an impact on our moods and well-being?
This impacts our lifestyle. The question is complicated when considering environmental impact. I don’t create four collections a year like people in fashion do. I want to make furniture that is as free as possible from fleeting trends and colors.
I prefer timelessness, ensuring products have a long lifespan as well as being repairable. We pay close attention to the materials that make up the furniture, using natural oils and formaldehyde-free glues. All this aims to have indoor air as free from VOCs (volatile organic compounds) as possible.
Oiling the wood, rather than wrapping it in a truly airtight film like varnish or lacquer, also allows it to retain its ability to absorb moisture. This helps to even out the humidity levels in the air. We create our products to be as pleasant as possible—in terms of functionality, ergonomics, and comfort. It’s rewarding to think that I improve users’ daily lives through design.
Do you have a project you dream of realizing one day with your sustainable furniture?
Professionally, if we can make the world better on our scale, that’s already good. We want our collaborators to be as fulfilled as possible. Ideally, this will inspire other entrepreneurs and allow us to produce locally without harming the planet. Hence our production of sustainable furniture.
What are your sources of inspiration for your sustainable furniture?
Nature, agriculture, the forest. When we talk about the circular economy, in the forest there are no chemical inputs, herbicides, or pesticides. The flora renews itself automatically. The leaves that fall every autumn and decompose in the soil nourish all the life within it. This produces humus that feeds the tree. It’s truly a circular system without inputs and renewable infinitely. Nothing is lost. Every branch and leaf that falls becomes the substrate on which the tree grows.
I’m a country person, my father was a forest ranger, and I live in the countryside. I grow my own vegetable garden, market garden, and fruit trees. I like this model which is more virtuous than excessive consumption. When you’re a designer, it’s a bit contradictory because you’re supposed to create need as much as possible to push the consumer to buy. And on the other hand, I aim to consume as little as possible and live a bit self-sufficiently.
Are you perhaps going to create a new form of design?
We call it eco-design or slow design. It’s what I try to practice with my responsible furniture. As I told you, at the base of our creative process is the environmental impact. This feeds our creative process. That’s why I feel less guilty designing and producing consumer goods because they are made to minimize environmental impact as much as possible.
We select trees that have grown in these types of forests that renew naturally. These are not trees from monoculture plantations. We have oak, beech, or walnut that have grown naturally. We do not cultivate in the sense that we do not plant trees to cut them down after twenty-five years and plant new ones. It’s a natural selection.
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Do you have any recommendations for brands or individuals?
Among creators with an original approach that I like, I think of Sébastien Cordoléani. He created the leather goods brand Archipel. He sells seamless leather products made artisanally. He is a more conventional designer, not at all coming from traditional leather craftsmanship. It’s interesting to have players who manage everything in-house, who design and produce. It brings a lot when the designer is connected to the manufacturing process.
In terms of eco-design, there is Philippe Riesling based in Strasbourg. He does design with a bit of scenography.
Finally, what do you think about the Pegboard and modular design? Should we prefer a single-function object? Or does multifunctionality offer solutions that align with our lifestyles?
I knew about the Pegboard but without knowing the name. It’s often what you find in trucks, artisan vehicles, or workshops. These perforated metal wall panels are very functional for hanging tools. I didn’t know the name Pegboard and discovered it with Aire thanks to the circular booster. With multifunction tools, I’m always cautious. I teach design to artisans and often tell them that on a Swiss Army knife, nothing works well. With the saw, you won’t make planks; with the blade, you won’t do gourmet cooking; with the toothpick, you won’t clean your teeth well—nothing works well on a Swiss Army knife. It has many functions, which is great, it fits well in your pocket, but which function works well? None.
That’s the risk when you put many functions into one object. You have to manage to fulfill these functions properly. On the other hand, there are interesting aspects, for example, the fact that it is adaptable. We can adjust it ourselves according to changes in our needs, if we move or change activities. But also if we age. So there is an interest in that, but I sometimes find it utopian.
Society and its evolution
The society we live in tends to make people change rather than evolve their interiors. The simple nature of things limits their lifespan and the desire for renewal. I work on this with my collections: I try to give objects a second life by offering to take back furniture that people want to part with. Since the furniture is of good quality, we can refurbish it.
The real challenge now will be to keep our products in good condition and always attractive to others, even after first use. Today, we talk about the economy of functionality. I believe there is a real challenge in no longer selling a piece of furniture but selling the function of sitting or eating. A restaurateur will change their furniture every five or ten years, so what will they do with it afterward? Even though with the rise of digital platforms we all think of Leboncoin. There are possibilities that allow these objects to be repaired. In my opinion, there is a lot to be done to evolve consumption habits and marketing habits.
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