Since its inception, Submaterial has always designed and fabricated residential pieces. Unlike our commercial products, which offer floor-to-ceiling solutions, our residential designs are smaller in scale, usually more complex in design, and more varied in material. Since our residential collection has grown significantly in offerings and audience in the last few years, we decided it was time for its own tagline.
in·ten·tion·al
/inˈten(t)SH(ə)nəl/
adjective
intentional
done on purpose; deliberate.
All Submaterial products are deeply intentional both in their design and fabrication. Designs that look fully random in their repetitions are, in fact, well thought out. Modularity is built into all designs to allow for expansive customization. Natural and sustainable materials are chosen with purpose for their functionality, beauty, and the connection they bring to the natural world. Most importantly, Submaterial deliberately creates by hand, preserving time-honored techniques and valuing the expertise of the individual craftsperson.
“It’s an understanding that what matters is unseen. You can look at the surface of our work and understand intuitively that an enormous amount of thinking, craft, and precision went into it. You can almost feel the heart of the people that make that for your enjoyment.”
mod·ern
/ˈmädərn/
adjective
modern
relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past.
Submaterial has long been inspired by the work of midcentury modern designers who pared down an idea to its simplest form and played with basic shapes in a way that was new. Our modern design language blends organic beauty and contemporary vision through strong geometric patterns and forms. The modular nature of our work fuses artistic expression with practicality. Our focus on sustainable material and environmentally friendly practices is an appropriately modern response to the current climate situation.
heir·loom
/ 'er, loom/
noun
heirloom; plural noun: heirlooms
a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations.
We pride ourselves on manufacturing with the highest quality materials and employing skilled craftspeople who earn a living wage. We deeply value the time, attention to detail, and imperfect charm inherent in human craftsmanship. As such, our products are not inexpensive, but their worth is not just measured by their cost.
Whether an 18th-century Rococo desk, a Quaker quilt, or a black leather Eames lounge chair, the elements that go into making a decorative piece heirloom-worthy are perhaps the same. The item will express good design, be well made, be consciously purchased and intentionally passed down, be well-loved, and be something that endures both physically and stylistically over time.
Our simple approach, timeless designs, and bespoke practices produce decorative pieces that are not disposable but instead intentional modern heirlooms.
