Recycled lifestyles

>> Sarah Hanneman and Elayna Dehaney bring together the old, the new and the sustainable

GROWING TOGETHER: Dehaney (R) and Hanneman

by SACHA JACKSON

Sarah Hanneman has just given me a history lesson in furniture manufacturing. She’s talking foam injection, assembly lines and the mass production of the 1960s. When she finishes, I ask her if she’s learned a lot about the history of furniture, she pauses for a minute and then turns to me with a surprised expression, “I guess I have, “ she says, “but I haven’t noticed it.”

Hanneman Design, the store she opened in mid-September alongside Elayna Dehaney of Éco Darling, is where she sells and creates her one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture made from the carcasses of family heirlooms and found antiques. It’s an idea she’s been working towards since studying fibre and textiles at university, “I wanted to make art out of furniture, a part of my program I still haven’t completed,” she jokes.

Instead of focusing on the construction, she turned her attention to the covering, learning how to upholster, expanding her knowledge of textiles, building a client list and finally starting the business out of her apartment in 2005. But it wasn’t until she met Dehaney that her plans started to get off the ground.

The partnership with Éco Darling came about in the way many relationships do, they were introduced by a nagging relative. “For two years, my aunt was telling me I had to meet Elayna,” Hanneman says, “and for two years I was like, ‘Whatever.’”

When they finally did meet this past June, things progressed quickly and, by September, Éco Darling had formally moved in. It’s the products that Éco Darling imports—recycled wine glasses, bamboo bowls, locally made soap—that turn Hanneman Design into a lifestyle store. Although they remain separate entities, they decided on the partnership because their products all revolve around sustainable, equitable and recycled elements. “We’re the same but we’re separate,” Hanneman explains. “We’re helping each other grow,” Dehaney adds, “beautifully.”

Part of that growth includes a joint line of products, which they’re aiming to launch in the spring. “My dream is to have my own collection of patterns and fabrics. But that’s going to come in time,” Hanneman says. “For now, making pieces that are funky and attractive is my main goal because there’s nothing like that in Montreal.”

And although both women are focused on growing and building their businesses, they aren’t in any rush. “The point is to be able to do what you can, when you can and to evolve when you can evolve. You can’t have the mansion in one day, you have to work your way towards it.” Hanneman says. “Unless you marry rich,” Dehaney laughs, “but then you’ll be working for it later.”