Here on Molly and the Princess I love to showcase new and exciting small businesses, good design, and eco-friendly products. And if they are sourced or made locally in the South West, even better! So you can imagine my excitement when I came across pachadesign, makers of handmade contemporary furniture and accessories based in Welcombe on the coast at the border of Devon and Cornwall.

pachadesign are a design/make partnership of Glenn Rushbrooke and Samantha Robb. They chose the name pacha, meaning pure/green, for their business as it represents their ethos of being environmentally friendly and their passion for using what might be seen as ‘waste-material’ in their design work. Using locally sources and reclaimed materials, pachadesign produce furniture and accessories for the home, that are not only functional, but very beautiful in their simplicity.

As it says on their website:

much of our work evolves from a simplistic approach to design and the materials that we use, combining pared down aesthetics with the japanese view of wabi sabi, beauty in imperfection.

we are very much inspired by the natural state of decay & rawness of
oak, slate & metal, yet use these materials to produce pieces with
clean lines & a modern feel.

we like simple, uncomplicated design. we are not led by trends.

our work is understated, often with an asymmetrical marriage of
materials. this simplicity ensures that the materials play a major
part in the overall appearance, resulting in the pieces working well in
modern minimalist spaces as well as more rustic environments.

I absolutely adore this oak and slate dining table with benches, made from reclaimed oak and locally-quarried Cornish slate. Each piece is unique due to the individual character of the oak, and the occasional quartz lines and tiny dots of iron pyrites (fool’s gold) in the slate.

oak edge and slate dining table and benches by pachadesign

pachadesign also make clocks and mirrors, such as this stunning long off-set slate mirror:

long off-set mirror by pachadesign

They even produce smaller accessories, and here are some that I will definitely be buying as Christmas presents:

leaf lanterns by pachadesign

These beautiful leaf lanterns are made from plant fibre and skeleton leaves that have been treated with a fire retardent, and each comes in a box with a tea-light and care instructions. At only £15 each (which includes UK p&p), I might just be tempted to buy a few for myself also.

You can find out more about pachadesign on their website or on their blog. Or visit them at the Made by Hand Craft Fair held at Tredegar House in Newport, Wales, 3 – 5 December 2010. You could even win a pair of tickets to the event by commenting here.

(All photographs courtesy of pachadesign)