Materia Designs was originally developed by Megan Sommerville and Matt Ensner as a means to express their diverse creative, aesthetic and philosophic ideals. Megan's background in fashion and movement arts, and Matt's knowledge of environmental conservation and landscape design came together to inform their visual language and manifest their belief that the objects around us are almost living, mutable species which must act in harmony to create an ecology of space.

The concept of this ecology came directly from their experience living in a series of tiny apartments in Brooklyn; each object was required to justify it's presence through utility, mobility and clear aesthetic purpose in order to be absorbed into the contextual relationships of space.

As these ideas evolved, Megan and Matt became interested in the possibilities of applying them to larger, more complex systems. Naturally, they bought a crumbling farm in a hidden corner of the Hudson Valley, and set to work recomposing the place. Many of Materia Designs' furniture, lighting and textiles are born out of this experimental renovation, and the quest for specialized objects that compliment and highlight their eclectic approach to living.

As Materia Designs progresses, Megan and Matt's commitment to sustaining the local economy has taken root, and to that end, they opened their first store, Materia Locus, in the Hudson Valley in 2009. Showcasing Materia Designs' complete collections alongside the work of a select group of designers and artists, Materia Locus is an incubator for innovative talent; aspiring to support, inspire and develop the creativity of their community.