Product designer Ariane Prin uses metal dust to create RUST homeware

Paris-based product designer Ariane Prin has a knack for giving waste materials a new form of life. ‘When I started as a product design student, we were often asked to make prototypes.’ she tells The Peep, ‘at the time I was trying to find interesting materials inside the college skips to make my mock-ups. I love how a material which is useless for someone, can be the starting point of a project and something much bigger in value for someone else.’ 

As a continuation of this, Ariane’s RUST Homeware and RUSTILES Surfaces collections are inspired by the desire to create new form and utility out of commonly disregarded waste materials.

The collection’s varied surface patterns are created by the oxidation of metal particles originating from locksmith shops and other metalworking workshops local to her studio. No two items are the same: each is made by hand using one-off moulds and the metal dust oxidation gives each product a unique texture, varying in colour and intensity. ‘This oxidation process can take from weeks to months, depending on the effect I want to get on the piece.’ she adds.

The pieces are all coated to “freeze” the oxidation, then signed and numbered with a brass label, the only element left to develop a patina through use and its environment. It takes about eighteen stages to complete a piece over three days. ‘That is not considering the oxidation time and the high variability of the process. The shapes I chose for the range are extremely simple. I wanted to let the material’s visual articulations be the heroes. Noisy effects on a silent design. In this way, the RUST and RUSTILES collections distinguish themselves from mass production and the products are as individual as their owners.’

To see more of Ariane’s work, visit her website and Instagram.