Eco design in Florence

Organic, Recycled, Natural, Eco friendly and Sustainability are words that we hear a lot of nowadays.  I am often of the feeling that Italy is a bit behind with this way of thinking but am slowly bearing witness to changes around our city that prove that Italy is moving up with the rest of the world and becoming more responsible for the environment – although many of the city’s smokers still don’t seem to realize that their cigarette butts are not biodegradable as they toss them wherever they choose!

One shop here that can tick all of the ‘eco-design’ boxes when it comes to offering accessories and home wares is Slow Design, located a few steps from the Pitti Palace in Sdrucciolo de’ Pitti 13/R.

Slow Design was created by Roberto and Nathalie, both designers.  He – product and graphics, she – fashion, as a means to bring to all of our attention the need to act responsibly when it comes to the objects we surround ourselves with on a day-to-day basis. As they both explain,  “It is possible today to purchase beautiful objects that do not pollute our environment, that have been crafted by hand and are recycled.”

Roberto and Nathalie researched not only the world but also the local artisans of Florence to find their  unique selection of home wares that they sell in their beautiful, natural store.  They selected Eco-Friendly designers and producers that fell into their strict criteria of working responsibly when it came to our environment.  They must practice fair trade, recycle or transform existing objects and most importantly be objects of a unique and original design.  They also have their own line of accessories on offer including abstract wooden lamp shades.

I fell in love with many of the pieces on display such as the lamp shades and bags made from recycled postal sacks, the beautiful glasses with matching water bottle etched with poetry by Dante and the ‘air vases’ from Japan.

I was tempted to buy a few different things but remembering our limited space at home, in the end came away with a Plumen globe that now glows proudly in our kitchen, bringing a bright yet soft-on-the-eye light to this dark corner of our house.

If you love design and original hand-made products, then I would definitely add a visit to Slow Design when you are in Florence.  Admire the creative genius behind these beautiful objects and maybe even take home a very different souvenir.