Our Story
What we're made of
Material Archives is the expression of a collective belief in the power of the handmade. While we are stirred by the aesthetic and the creative, we are grounded by the history of the objects we document. Our mission is to build a slow archive that exists to preserve modern classics and ancient techniques alike.
Comfort and Joy
Our founding philosophies are at the core of everything we document. We will always strive for sublime simplicity and sustainable craftsmanship; to celebrate timeless future heirlooms; and to provide daily doses of much-needed comfort and joy.
But above everything is consideration, kindness, and consciousness in all we do, say, and make. We believe that before you can value an object, you must understand its origin.
Designs to Endure
"I've always had a thing for older pieces. I like things that wear well, that feel nostalgic somehow, and that have something special about them that makes you want to keep them safe and pass them on."
As a collective, we strive to achieve heritage character, reinventing the classics in a design language that speaks of the bucolic, the refined, and the urban. The onus is on quality, weight, the handmade – and on relationships with our wider family of makers, who similarly strive to create pieces that will last beyond our lifetimes.