That Wabi Sabi Feeling
It struck us recently when uploading product information for our new brand Lorenzo Design just how far we have come since we launched our business. This range of beautifully handcrafted wooden products is the second range that will physically include our own logo which we are very excited about!
Our excitement was also sparked because working with a small company like Lorenzo Design was one of our motivations in setting up La Peninsula - creating a platform to showcase lesser known brands who are also trying to build a sustainable business themselves - and to become the "home of Spanish and Portuguese design and homeware in the UK". Lorenzo Design's handcrafted wooden products are exactly the kind of homeware that we had envisaged in our range and working with them enables us to align our homeware range with our values and overall vision - that is a satisfying feeling!
It got me thinking about the process of range and product selection and how this ultimately ties into our overall strategy as a company. What appeals to us about their unique products and why would our customers want them? What need do they fulfill? I realised that there are so many reasons why I would choose one of their products - the imperfect, natural aesthetic of the beautifully handcrafted wood they use, the simplicity of design to create a timeless piece of practical, yet beautiful homeware and the idea that these simple items have the durability to wear over time and take on a new patina but retain their usefulness.
It made me think of the Japanese concept of Wabi-sabi which is rooted in the idea that we should embrace simplicity and imperfection and appreciate the patina of time-worn items. In recent years it is something that has been used to define a particular interior style or physical products but it is so much more than that. Wabi-sabi is a philosophy of living, a feeling, deeply inherent in Japanese culture and art. It is something difficult to define but which essentially denotes a life lived simply, authentically and to embrace our connection to nature.
I realised when endeavouring to describe Lorenzo Design's wonderful homeware that their simple, rustic beauty gave me a feeling of Wabi-sabi. I was touched by their current natural beauty but could also imagine them over the passage of time, after having been used and enjoyed by my friends and family. In fact regardless of whether you use them or not, their raw texture and each piece's unique pattern is simply, beautifully decorative - a wonderful balance of nature's perfect imperfection!
