Discover the world of Galiatea:
Imagine…imagine looking at a decoration piece in your home and knowing this is more than a decoration piece…it stands as unique as a work of art. It has a soul and a story. It brings emotion and bridges worlds. This is Galiatea…shining a light on the work of artisans from around the world, on their skills and ancestral savoir-faire. In this age of mass production, those creators are marginalized…those artist won’t be exposing in Salone del Mobile in Milan or flooding the furniture market but their craftsmanship, techniques and use of exotic materials are exceptional and beautiful… their work has a depth and a uniqueness that is so specific to luxury handcrafted pieces.
Who is not hungry for what is authentic and exclusive? Which designer is not searching for that special piece that will unmistakably transform the space, that will overwhelm the viewer? “Rooms should not be put together for show but to nourish one's well-being.”(Albert Hadley) The artistic pieces created by those forgotten artisans could nourish one’s soul, could distil in one’s heart a love for that story, for that culture, for that identity, a love for what is genuinely human in a world created by machines “made in China”. This art could be a bridge between cultures: we understand, then we respect and finally we love and embrace each other’s culture.
As designers, we promise to create a space that reflect one’s personality. A human space, a living space with a heart, a space provoking emotions and sensations. And yet to fill this space, we have only at our disposition machine-made items, soulless products that resemble one another. Pretty certainly, interesting rarely but breathtaking never.
Who are we?
From a love of Mother Earth (Gaia) and passion for beauty (Galatea, the muse of art created by Pygmalion as the perfect woman and the representation of the perfect work of art), GALIATEA was created, a fusion of cultures and styles. We believe that the next movement in sustainable luxury design will combine the search of the genuine and authentic (the artisans’ traditional techniques) with contemporary design trends. It will encompass a sense of social responsibility as well as an eco-friendly attitude. It will be again…human art.
What is socially conscious luxury?
Because we are who we are thanks to our artisans, we want to give back to these communities too often sidelined and overlooked. It is difficult to imagine some of their struggles. What is it like to live high in the Andes where the cold feels like it is chilling your very bones? When your child can only go to school if he or she has school supplies? We are committed that 10% of our profits go back to these artisan communities in the form of educational supplies, continued education and infrastructure development, so that artisans not only survive, but thrive thanks to their art.
Your dollars will enable them to perpetuate their cultural heritage and their traditions in addition to helping the entire community (such as the providers of the materials and resources). It will encourage the following generations to continue in the footsteps of the master artisans with pride and creativity. Your purchasing power can empower your values allowing those artisans to grow outside of their community through the use of our e-commerce platform. This is lasting change. This is doing good. This is caring.
What is eco-friendly luxury?
2 days shipping… we have become instant gratification consumers. For that instant shipping to happen, hangars must be filled to the brinks and unsold objects quickly discarded. The environment impact of that attitude is indescribable. Because we care for our earth as much as for our artisans, we will not have huge hangars filled of cheap disposable items, instant shipping, and mass-produced accessories. In our efforts to reduce waste, environmental impact and to fulfill on our vision of creating one -of -a -kind pieces, all of our furniture and home décor items are made to order, customized by YOU….and it will take time. Even our best-selling items available for purchase are made to order as well as all the products accessed by our interior designer clients in our trade program.
To repeat a French dicton : “Paris ne s’est pas fait en un jour.’ (Paris wasn’t made in a day).
Eco-friendly also means caring for the local environment of the artisans, so that no forest is destroyed or animal is killed to create those masterpieces.
What is… luxury?
Luxury is using the very best material (exotic raw materials) with the highest level of handcrafting techniques and the most carefully contemporary design. Luxury is the perfection in the details, and the beauty in the creation. Luxury is having exactly what you want and yet be surprised by it ..no two pieces of wood, no two alpaca pillows are ever the same. Luxury is harmony in the construction and in the design.
We look forward to make unique pieces with a soul part of your life and your space….
