Max Lamb: Trash to Treasure Furniture

Max Lamb, a furniture designer based in London, embraces a primitive, low-waste philosophy by transforming humble materials into utilitarian objects. He focuses on natural resources like stone and wood, aiming to alter them as little as possible to retain their inherent character. Lamb's hands-on approach, learned from childhood experiences and formal education, emphasizes making as much as designing.

His Wasted collection, born from a 2019 trip to Bali, features upcycled home designs created by Indonesian artisans from salvaged materials. The popular Flat chair is made from 833 recycled plastic bottle caps, gallon caps, and toothpaste tubes, demonstrating plastic's durability. Collection 002 expands this ethos with items made from glass, ceramic, textiles, bamboo, and now metal, including knives forged from recycled steel.

Lamb believes designers have a profound responsibility to justify their creations and introduce new working methods that show deep respect for natural resources. The Wasted collection aims to preserve the properties of materials like plastic by creating long-lasting products.