When Sarah Basemera moved to Luxembourg, she furnished her flat for under €1,000, thanks to pieces she found in second-hand shops. She recently launched Canopi, an online marketplace for upcycled furniture, in hopes that others will also consider moving away from “fast furniture”.
Depending on the source, it’s estimated that the furniture industry is responsible for 1% to 2% of carbon emissions each year—on par with the airline industry. “The amount of waste is huge,” Canopi founder Sarah Basemera says.
“One percent of all deforestation globally is related to the furniture industry and only 10% of furniture is recycled in Europe, so 90% goes to landfill or is incinerated.”
Additionally, some resins used in particleboard—a material that doesn’t last as long as solid timber—have been deemed carcinogenic. Certain finishes are equally known to split easily.
Basemera sees two main reasons people opt for fast furniture in Luxembourg: there’s the movement of expats, who might want the cheapest solution simply because they don’t anticipate staying more than a few years. Additionally, “when an expat stays and they’ve bought their first house, we’re in a very expensive country, they’re still on a minimal budget.”
Some, she argues, may opt for turnkey solutions, fitted cabinetry or shelving, while others who have inherited pieces may just deem them too old-fashioned for more modern spaces. They might not be able to imagine how a piece could be upcycled and restored to give it a more modern feel…
Using AI to transform furniture
That’s where Basemera’s brother, Patrick Kajura, plays a role. As Canopi’s CTO, “I’m looking at the most optimal AI solutions that can alter from the furniture we have now to what the potential aesthetics it could have,” he explains, adding that he’s determining which prompts are the best to pull such information out of AI models.
To take one example, the Canopi platform has an original 1890 solid oak wood dresser for sale, which could be purchased as is. Through AI-generated images, a user could also visualise the piece with a lighter, brighter finish. “There’s a lot of solid wood furniture that’s too dark to ornamental, and it’s not quite antique value—furniture less than 100 years old,” Basemera explains. “Houses today are quite modern, but they’re smaller, so furniture needs to be brighter and lighter.”
The price for a re-crafted piece is higher than the original, of course, but Canopi is working with a handful artisans in the greater region, including Holz-Kopf, Peinture Karold, Duke Restoration, Comfort Zone, LiveTouch Design and interior designer, Peter Kleijnenburg. Basemera says no commission is being taken from these early adopters. She adds, “There are many artisans who are peppered across the region, and having a golden source to see whose style you like, their craftmanship, over a range of budgets—that’s the idea behind Canopi.”
While Canopi is still in development, with the team testing its minimal viable product, Basemera says “the doors are open. We’re seeking at least 10 customers who would be interested in feeding back on the debutante catalogue before we actually re-craft the products.”
