Angie Barillas, founder and designer of Ebb and Flow Furniture, started her studio with a strong commitment towards ethically and sustainably made furniture.
Her strong commitment to sustainability started with living in New York City and seeing how much furniture ended up being thrown out to the curbside every time people moved because it was made with poor materials, and poor quality made to be disposed of.
Originally from Guatemala, where furniture is hand-made and passed on from generation to generation. Angie wanted to make furniture that would create the same kind of tradition for the American consumer.
So she went to work creating great sustainable pieces designed to be timeless. Pieces that you can bring with you in all stages of your life. This way, they don’t end up in landfills after a short time of purchasing it.
At Ebb and Flow, they try as much to use the local materials that are available to them as best we can, such as Palo Blanco wood. In addition, they also try to create new processes and techniques that will let them use materials in new ways.
With materials, they source their wood only from local forests that are protected, and the wood they use is from fully matured trees. They also have pieces of furniture in their collection that are upholstered with 100% up-cycled natural denim.
The cost of using sustainable materials tends to be higher, and often makes it harder for Ebb and Flow to compete against more well-known brands that use more disposable materials. But on the other hand, the market is changing, and more consumers now want to know more about where the materials of their furniture comes from, and who makes it.
One of the biggest accomplishments of Ebb and Flow has been creating more jobs and sustainable processes with their local artisans. As a result, they have been able to provide their artisans with fair wages, healthier work environments, and allowing their families to grow with Ebb and Flow so they can all thrive together as a company.
*all photos are from Ebb and Flow
