A one-stop destination for sustainable design, YUME has just launched globally online. The Copenhagen-based company was founded by Anja Holm and Marie Engberg, both mothers to two young children, both business women, and both philanthropists with a dream to change the world into a more sustainable place for future generations. Aptly the name of the company, YUME, (pronounced you-meh) means dream in Japanese.
Offering globally sourced, sustainable furniture, lighting, home accessories and lifestyle products, YUME is also a lifestyle destination with an online magazine, The YUME Edit. “If we need to change our buying patterns, more information is required to inspire people to live a sustainable life that is fun and appealing. We need people to understand that we are by no means taking things away, but presenting exciting, sustainable new options,” says YUME co-founder Marie Engberg.
Bridging design and sustainability, all items in the YUME portfolio are as beautiful as they are clever. Based on Anja and Marie's love for the Scandinavian design heritage, the products are fused with an eclectic style from Africa and The Far East. This approach has resulted in a more versatile portfolio of clean, subtle lines combined with a warmer feel and bolder colours.
“We have travelled the world and found ethical Danish furniture, hand-hammered trays from Algeria, handmade chairs made from sustainably harvested trees from the forests of Nicaragua, and gorgeous sustainable lamps from London,” says Anja Holm, co-founder of YUME. The YUME portfolio includes products by Mater, Paper Collective, Phaidon, O MY BAG, Masaya & Co., Chhatwal & Jonsson and many more.
A bridge to the many skilled artisans, craftsmen and designers around the world who truly live by the principles of sustainable production and design, YUME is founded on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, YUME has teamed up with UNIDO, a specialised agency under the UN, in order to support selected projects to help artisans and designers in Middle Eastern countries.
“YUME will donate 10% of its profits to local artisans around the world. The donations will, ultimately, lead to the development of new products that can be sold in the online shop. This way, we are not only fostering local artisans’ ability to create, but also providing them with an opportunity to sell their pieces and thus make a living for themselves. This is what is we call the YUME promise,” says Marie Engberg.
Visit YUME to see the entire collection and to shop online.
Images courtesy of YUME