The simple answer is: sustainability. But let me go further than what a mere keyword can.

In 1970, the American musician, poet and activist Gil Scott-Heron, proclaimed that the revolution wouldn’t be televised. Fast forward to 2023 and it’s safe to say that the revolution will be at least, customised. Scott-Heron’s statement was all about suggesting that true change would come from within individuals and communities, rather than through the media and the establishment. This idea is also perfectly applicable to the current furniture landscape. On one side, the furniture establishment, much like the mass media in the 70s, is dominated by mammoth brands producing obscenely large quantities of standard pieces in series, following the 20th Century recipe. On the other side, there are more individuals than ever before who want to revolutionise their homes by making choices on a more personal level, considering how their spaces should reflect their unique lifestyles and personalities.

In 2023, buying furniture from the same two or three standard mass players that have monopolised the market for decades feels as outdated and unfulfilling as getting information and entertainment from just one newspaper and a few TV channels. Furthermore, this practice is damaging, as conscious consumers are increasingly realising. The 20th Century standard furniture recipe consists of mixing low-quality materials and highly affordable prices thanks to ingredients such as non-sustainable materials, significant material waste, and a high carbon footprint associated with the production and transport of pieces of furniture. This is how mass standard playlist players have been able to encourage consumers to exchange them frequently like pencils and pens. As a result, the environmental impact of furniture production is immense, and the true cost to humanity is far greater than what is reflected in the price tag.

Now, exclusivity in furniture represents far more than a step forward to self-expression. Furniture mass customisation means reducing waste and minimising environmental impact by producing on demand, thus, only what is needed. Nevertheless, according to the rules of mass production hence without the main implications of luxury, high cost and slow-paced production, due to the profound technological changes brought by the 4.0 industry. Now, you’re beginning to grasp why sustainability isn’t just a fancy keyword to push products to sell but rather the key indeed to get our planet back on track.

But, of course, there are many aspects to the future of furniture, be it aesthetically since social media deeply changed consumption patterns by drawing people to favour their individual tastes and preferences, be it socially due to how homes have been impacted by severe transformations in how people think, work, interact and live. On the bottom, there’s technology prompting all these phenomena, acting as the key to on-demand mass manufacturing which allows customers to enjoy a high degree of autonomy while delivering furniture with more agility and lower cost than bespoke studios. And above all, regaining the sustainability lost with mass standard players on the front. Sustainability should be the number one reason why you’ll be choosing furniture designed and facilitated by small companies in the future. Companies that are struggling to materialise a major shift by producing on demand and decentralising fabrication. One of these small companies looking forward to a better future is Movendo and it is the best one because even while engaged in this new process, it knows that furniture is still about making your life beautiful, easier and happier as it has always been. Welcome to our revolution!