Tucked away in a converted apple coolstore in Tasmania, Laura McCusker is designing furniture that she hopes will still be around in hundreds of years.
The Hobart-based furniture maker adheres to the 'slow design movement', which she says is based off the 'slow food' ethos.
"Instead of buying stuff that's really quick to access, quick to make and cheaper, you actually invest in pieces that will last forever," Ms McCusker said.
"So, buying once, buying well, looking after it, maintaining it and buying from makers who are local."
This movement is the antithesis to fast furniture, which like fast fashion, is mass-produced furniture made of lower-quality materials, and is cheaper than handmade pieces.
There are a number of brands that provide these products, which are usually flat-packed, normally not made of solid timber construction and can be shipped from all around the world.
Ms McCusker said although fast furniture may be appealing, these "fashion-based" or trendy items have less longevity.
"I'd just be careful of that sugar hit," she said.
"You can get a longer hit of the dopamine if you buy something that's better quality, or if you find something and repurpose it, like a vintage piece.
"You'll love it so much more than if you buy something that turns up in 10 days from China."
Fiona McAlpine works at a waste management centre in Hobart, which she said had seen a gradual increase of dumped fast furniture since the COVID pandemic.
"We end up with a lot more of it and ultimately a lot of this material does end up in landfill because it's much harder to recycle than our traditional old solid wood timber furniture," she said.
Ms McAlpine said the type of materials, such as composite timber with lots of glues, are easily damaged and hard to repair.
"Often that material gets damaged really easily and people then don't pass those pieces of furniture on to others to reuse and they end up coming straight to landfill."
The influence of social media
Lin Yang, a marketing researcher at the University of Tasmania, said preferences for fast furniture have been heavily influenced by trends seen online, especially for younger people.
"When it comes to actually purchasing, they would look for social media-worthy pieces," Dr Yang said.
"They might be thinking, 'this piece is going to bring me more attention' or 'this is going to allow me to engage with my mates on Instagram or TikTok'.
"Fast furniture really allows them to … quickly refresh their rooms in a day or less than a day, so this actually gives that … social value they're looking for."
She said cost was a major factor.
"The older generation … they tend to be more affluent, and they are able to afford up-front big investments."
Important to be a 'conscious consumer'
For 31-year-old Georgia Quinn, avoiding fast furniture and buying secondhand is the perfect middle ground between sustainability and affordability.
"It can be really tempting to just buy something because I need it for an occasion, or it's cheap enough so if it doesn't work out in my home, it doesn't really matter,"
Ms Quinn said.
"But it's not just the price that you're paying, you're also asking something of the Earth, which we all know is already in crisis."
Ms Quinn runs a social media account where she provides tips on flipping thrifted items, including furniture.
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She said it was a conversation that required nuance.
"I think there's a risk of being classist when we're talking about sustainability and being really adamant about only buying from sustainable brands," she said.
"I think it's more about being a conscious consumer and buying things that you're actually going to use and that will actually add value to your life, and not just buying because something is cheap."
Tips for being sustainable on a budget
Ms McCusker said although getting an item designed is more expensive, well-made timber furniture should last hundreds of years.
"When you're spending a little bit more and it takes a little bit of time for that piece to get to you, something goes wrong with it — if it gets a knock or a bruise or a dent — you're much more likely to mend it and repair it."
Ms McCusker said she does work for large and small budgets and understands why some people need to buy the cheaper option.
"If you're on a student income and you're living in share accommodation … you gotta do what you gotta do.
"Maybe when you finish with it, pass it on to somebody else or look after it, and maybe if it gets a little bit tired, give it a coat of paint.
"There's a million ways that we can keep these things lasting longer."
Ms McAlpine said people can go to tip shops or secondhand stores to find pieces.
"It's not that you can't get something handmade [on a smaller budget], but you might not get something that's brand new and handmade,"
she said.
Ms Quinn said she asks herself a series of questions when contemplating buying something new.
"Will it really add value to my life? Will I keep it for a long time when I no longer need it? Can it be useful to someone else? Will it just go to landfill next? Will I only have it for six months and then I'll just chuck it?"
