Beauty

Does beauty really matter?

Yesterday our design team had the pleasure of sharing a morning with David Trubridge. For those who don’t yet know David, he is one of New Zealand’s most successful designers. His iconic lights and furniture have tapped into the New Zealand identity and are celebrated globally. His Icarus light is on permanent display at the Pompidou Centre and his TED talks challenge and inspire.

A Disconnect from Nature

Trubridge shared with us his belief that a lot of the problems that we’re encountering today in our world are because of a disconnect from nature over the ages. Craftsmen have been replaced by the economist and the engineer, resulting in an imbalance with focus on function overriding form.

Accordingly David feels that the disconnection from nature has resulted in today’s emphasis on novelty and gimmicks at the expense of genuine originality. Without beauty there can be no real care. This is where David’s talk, Beauty Matters, provided great inspiration for us.

At PLN Group we share several values with David and his team and this is largely why we work so well with them. Notably the shared belief that what the world needs now is NOT just another piece of furniture – unless it has some specific purpose that is not being adequately filled by alternatives.

Seeking to understand the greater meaning of why we come to work each day, our company has resolved to support an enhanced life through original thought and design. In today’s world of rapid change and pressure on budgets, beauty is often considered a luxury rather than a necessity.

Our disconnection from nature has resulted in today’s emphasis on novelty and gimmicks at the expense of genuine originality according to David, whose work is closely aligned to and inspired by nature.

Beautifully designed objects that have meaning can enrich our lives and reconnect us to nature.

Like David, we argue that objects that are beautiful and have meaning enrich our lives and tend to enhance our enjoyment and performance within our environment. If we accept ugliness in our homes we’ll accept it in our cities, in the destruction of our natural environment. If we take care in the design and creative process, the objects themselves will in return enrich and nurture us, elevating us to a better version of our current selves.

Hush light, designed by David Trubridge in association with PLN Group, creates a more nurturing environment. Its soft, wave-shaped panels are both aesthetically beautiful and absorb noise in interior environments.

Just as we have approached our other markets, you can expect to see this thinking inform our future design program.

Objects that are beautiful and have meaning enrich our lives and tend to enhance our enjoyment of our spaces.

How much does beauty matter in your life and daily work?

If you ever have the chance to listen to David speak on this topic, you will likely come away with slightly different perspectives on why beauty matters for you. We encourage you to try and attend one of David’s talks.

As the speed of life increases, we all need to take a moment to reconnect with nature and nurture our mind, body and soul.

View some of David's designs.

Contact us about David's designs.