I recently chatted to the lovely people at Habitus Living about what I do and the why’s of anaca studio.
Here’s an excerpt of our discussion with Emily Sutton.
Habitus: What inspired you to start the journey of anaca studio?
Anne-Claire: I have been involved in the furniture industry for over 20 years, but there came a time when I wanted the freedom to create my own products, brand and artistic direction that was guided by my own ethics. I envisioned a brand that would focus on good design, be environmentally aware and locally manufactured.
I can trace these values back to my childhood in France. Both of my parents were small business owners, and my mum always valued having nice things around the home. So, from a young age I had good design instilled in me and I wanted to incorporate these into my business and brand.
Sounds like creativity has had a special place throughout your life.
I’ve always had a creative spirit, but my love of furniture came much later. I started my studies in industrial design, but I wasn’t inspired by the products. I couldn’t connect to the process until I started to explore objects – where emotion comes into play, and I became fascinated by our attachment to furniture.
How did you use this love for furniture to define the vision and goals for anaca studio?
My goal for anaca studio is to deliver well-designed, high-quality personalised products and a second to none service to my customers. It’s critical for me to carry my personal ethics into my business and brand, where environmental awareness, local manufacturing and good design standards are front and centre.
My vision was (and still is) to build a brand that would represent what we can offer here in Australia in design and manufacturing and be a voice for a more sustainable future in the furniture industry. I want to design for longevity, comfort and well-being. I believe design is not just about how a product looks, but how it feels and how it makes you feel. I believe that details are important, the look is key but it should not be more important than the use or the comfort.
With the ever-changing nature of our living spaces, the demand for stylish, functional and versatile pieces has increased. How have you instilled this vision across your products?
When I was dreaming up the Toulouse sofa, I wanted to design something that was easy to maintain and I know (from experience) that my customers are busy people. They don’t always have time to fluff cushions or tend to fabrics. It’s why the cushions on the arms of the sofa are fixed (so they won’t flop around) but you still get the impression of a detached pillow.
For all of your designer furniture needs, simply contact us or come into our Melbourne showroom today.