Reading about the recent IPCC report on climate change made me realise it was time to update you on what we’re doing at Lightly.

Telling our own story through design, rather than following trends or seasons, and building a community that shares our values is the cornerstone of how we design and produce intentionally and ethically.

Growing up on a farm with my family’s inspiring resourcefulness gave me a deep appreciation for handmade, making something from what you find and a disdain for waste. As a result, enduring design, functionality, and resourcefulness have always been a part of our approach.

My brother taught me to weld at a very young age, and at weekends we enjoyed finding scrap metal and fusing something from our findings. Other adventures were to ride our bikes to the dam to make small bowls from mud and fire them on the sunny banks. As a family, we ate everything we grew, and life was sustainable.

Small batch production and handmade has allowed us to establish a studio in India, where skilled artisans handcraft each piece.  It was a conscious decision to provide employment opportunities, explore new materials and support artistry rather than make mass and cheaply.  I genuinely appreciate India, having lived there a year at 19, studying permaculture, doing volunteer work and being inspired.

Over the years, we’ve built a community that has helped us make great design accessible and look after ourselves and the planet. Some recent partnerships include Carbon Neutral Australia, where we have planted over 1,500 trees.

Our new Bunnings collaboration has brought Australian design to a broader audience. In addition, their thorough ethical and environmental audit of partners like us has provided an example for all businesses to use their power and might for the planet’s good.

I think it’s important to note that none of this is fundamentally new; the values we built in 2005 have always held us accountable for looking after people and the planet.

I know that we’ll continue to learn and improve, and our door is always open to conversation and questions that will help us do that.

‘At Lightly-considered design weathers trends’.

Image of Victorian coastline, Cindy-Lee Davies 2017