One to Watch: Sustainable Furniture Designers Lock and Mortice

When Josiah Peters visited Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano (otherwise known as the Milan Furniture Fair) last April, he was amazed by the size of it. The colossal venue, the thousands of exhibitors and the diversity of designs were overwhelming€”but not as overwhelming as the garbage. €œHow is it that people aren€™t protesting, and appalled by, the sheer waste that we produce?€ says Peters.

Peters, along with Lock and Mortice co-founders Rachel Peters and Ryan Tam, had already made an eco-conscious commitment when it came to designing and manufacturing their solid-wood furniture: they use a natural commercial-grade finish and have a minimal-waste policy in their manufacturing process, with all off-cuts recycled or given to woodshops at local schools. Now, it was time to bring that commitment to the international stage.

So when Vancouver's Interior Design Show rolled around, Lock and Mortice revealed Portal, a zero-waste exhibition. Made of 98-percent recycled FSC-certified honeycomb paperboard, their sustainable display€”and the furniture it held€”­­­felt like entering another (greener) dimension. At the show's end, the display was entirely recycled or repurposed. €œOur goal was not just to showcase our own abilities, but to inspire others,€ says Peters. €œThis is the design industry€”we should be leading the charge when it comes to sustainability.€

One of Lock and Mortice's latest ventures is a collaboration with local design shop Provide. The Provide series  is a collection of simply sophisticated furniture made from solid white oak, such as the dining table pictured above.