A new design store at the Chocolate Factory is filled with local, ethical and sustainable pieces

The Chocolate Factory in Dublin now houses a newly established design store called Raw Material. The space is chock-full of exciting young Irish designers who focus on working with natural raw materials like metal, wood, clay, paper and concrete. The brainchild of Emmet Bosonnet (below), an engineer with a passion for industrial design, the collective’s ethos is to support local, ethical and sustainable design – buzzwords that are beginning to have real meaning for today’s savvy shoppers.

Emmet himself is a maker, and founder of emerging brand Kopper Kreation. He uses salvaged and scrap copper to create contemporary lamps and a variety of homeware products. Other brands in the collective include the wonderful Kaikø Studiø, a Wicklow-based label founded in 2016. Couple Linda and Maciej create minimalist concrete and brass necklaces inspired by the botanical and architectural structures around them. The tiny concrete beads, which feature on the necklaces, are all slightly different, making each piece truly unique.

Concrete and brass necklace, Kaikø Studiø, €29 at Raw Material, the Chocolate Factory

The couple handmake all their jewellery and every item is sealed with an eco-friendly topcoat. If you’re not a fan of statement jewellery but prefer to wear something with a little more substance than fine jewellery, these pieces strike the perfect balance. Fresh and modern, sustainable and locally made… What’s not to like?

Holding shot: Architectural concrete hoop earrings, Kaikø Studiø, €29 at Raw Material, the Chocolate Factory