Local x Local

Loam at Perth Design Week: Designing for a More Considered Future

Perth Design Week brings together people and ideas that shape the future of design. We were proud to take part this year, presenting our core Australian range to designers, architects, industry professionals, and the broader community. The exhibition provided an opportunity to share our commitment to thoughtful, enduring furniture and its role in creating more sustainable spaces.

From Designing the Future to Designing with Purpose, this year’s discussions highlighted a growing commitment to more conscious ways of living. A recurring theme was the need to move beyond short-term consumption and invest in products that are thoughtfully designed, built to last and made responsibly.

For Loam, these values are fundamental to everything we do.

Why Australian Design Matters

Choosing Australian design is about more than aesthetics. It’s an investment in local creativity, specialist skills, and the future of Australia’s design industry.

Independent designers, makers and manufacturers form the backbone of the sector, preserving expertise while driving innovation through thoughtful, purposeful design. Their work has helped establish Australia’s reputation for design that responds to our environment, values and way of life.

Supporting Australian design strengthens local industries, encourages responsible production, and helps ensure the knowledge, craftsmanship, and creative talent that define our design culture continue to thrive.

Choosing Australian-made furniture is about much more than supporting local business. It is an investment in local skills, manufacturing capability and the future of our design industry.

Small and medium enterprises make up the overwhelming majority of Australian businesses and are the driving force behind local manufacturing. Within the furniture sector, independent makers and specialist manufacturers continue to preserve traditional skills while pushing innovation forward through contemporary design and production methods.

These businesses contribute to Australia’s strong reputation for thoughtful, purposeful design, creating products that reflect our environment, our way of life and our growing commitment to sustainability.

Every locally made piece represents jobs, craftsmanship and knowledge retained within our communities.

Material Choices That Matter

One of the most valuable conversations during Perth Design Week centred on materiality and transparency.

As consumers become increasingly aware of environmental impacts, understanding where materials come from and how they are sourced has never been more important.

Sustainability is rarely as simple as selecting one material over another. Every resource carries an environmental footprint and responsible manufacturing requires careful consideration of sourcing, durability, repairability and lifecycle performance.

At Loam, we believe informed material selection is essential. Whether that means selecting responsibly sourced timber or prioritising natural and durable finishes. Materiality plays a critical role in ensuring the longevity and sustainability of the spaces we create.

Good design begins with understanding what something is made from and where it will end up once its first life is complete.

Designing Against Disposable Culture

Australia continues to face a growing furniture waste problem.

Across both residential and commercial sectors, furniture is too often viewed as temporary. Products designed for short life cycles contribute to significant volumes of waste entering landfill each year, creating unnecessary environmental costs.

The alternative is designing and manufacturing furniture that lasts.

Furniture should be able to adapt, age gracefully, be repaired when necessary, and continue serving its purpose well beyond changing trends. Longevity is one of the most powerful sustainability strategies available to our industry.

When quality craftsmanship is prioritised, furniture becomes something that can be lived with for decades rather than replaced every few years.

Purpose-Driven Design

The conversations taking place throughout Perth Design Week reinforced a shift already occurring across the design industry.

Clients, architects, designers and consumers are increasingly looking beyond aesthetics alone. They are asking where products come from, how they are made, what materials have been used, and whether they will stand the test of time.

This growing focus on durability, ethical production and environmental responsibility mirrors broader changes across government procurement and commercial design sectors, where long-term performance is becoming just as important as visual appeal.

For Loam, this represents an encouraging step forward.

Design has the power to shape behaviour, influence purchasing decisions and reduce waste. When products are thoughtfully designed and responsibly manufactured, the benefits extend far beyond the object itself.

Looking Ahead

Participating in Perth Design Week was an opportunity not only to showcase Loam’s work but also to contribute to conversations that are helping define the future of Australian design.

The festival highlighted the incredible talent within Western Australia’s design community and reinforced the importance of supporting local makers, embracing responsible material choices, and championing furniture that is built to last.

As our industry continues to evolve, these principles will remain at the heart of what we do.

Because good design is not just about creating beautiful spaces. It’s about creating products, systems and industries that leave a lasting positive impact.