Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 44 (Megan) and 45 (Matt).
Occupation: Founders and co-owners of Materia. Megan is the creative director; Matt is the chief innovation officer.
Instagram: @materiadesigns
Hometown: We’re both from Asheville, NC, where we met in a high school drafting class.
Studio location: We recently moved our studio from the Hudson Valley, where it was located since 2008, to the Farm Coast of Massachusetts; a beautiful peninsula facing the Elizabeth Islands in between Newport, RI, and the mouth of Cape Cod.
Describe what you make: That’s a complicated question; we’re in the process of redefining that at the moment. Ultimately, we make environments, and as we assemble those environments we tend to design objects specific to those spaces. More often than not, those items become a part of the Materia collection. (Matt)
Historically, we have designed reductive, material-driven lighting and furniture. This year, however, to commemorate our XV anniversary, we’re delving into a new studio practice together and have been making limited-edition objects for the table and entertaining. (Megan)
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: I believe in PLATEAU III.FTH, which is a seven-foot-tall floor lamp from our newest lighting collection, because it blurs the lines between furniture, sculpture, and lighting. It feels like a tall and funny friend, and friends are very important. (Matt)
The house we’re currently renovating in Massachusetts. In this project we’ve gotten to a place where we can dream something up and we now have the skills and relationships to actualize it, which is very satisfying. (Megan)
Describe the problem your work solves: Modern life has widened a rift between interior and exterior environments. I hope my work designing objects and spaces will help soften that dichotomy, or at least invite a critical conversation. (Matt)
One of life’s most significant issues is how disembodied humans have become in their day to day. Through a focus on tactility, scale, and the tone of the materials we use in our products and spaces, I hope my work provides a transformative somatic experience for people when they interact with it. (Megan)
Describe the project you are working on now: Creating an immersive installation within our SoHo gallery that will house a special collaborative exhibition in May. (Matt)
Designing a limited-edition collection of playful accessories that will tie in with our 15-year anniversary celebrations this year. (Megan)
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: We recently designed a series of custom lampshades for our new Plateau collection made of hundreds of hand-sewn goatskin parchment paillettes that will launch in May during NYCxDesign at our Soho gallery.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Natural light, plants, and music are all critical to getting the studio vibes right!
What you do when you’re not working: We cook a lot, Megan goes on a long walk every day, and Matt will prune every tree in sight. This winter, we’ve both been cold-water plunging in the ocean nearby, and we’ve recently started going out dancing again when we’re in New York, which has been amazing.
Sources of creative envy: Pina Bausch, Dries Van Noten, Wendell Berry, Hilma af Klint.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Screen time of every single variety!
Concrete or marble? Terrazzo.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Depends on what’s happened! Maybe remember to forget.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts for sure.
Dark or light? Both. The interest is in the juxtaposition.
All photography by Angela Hau.
