Inspired by the traditional wedding anniversary materials list, Leanne Richards has created a range of products that explore how inexpensive materials can be used to make luxury goods.

No one really knows when or how the tradition of associating certain materials with wedding anniversaries came about. Traditionally, the first wedding anniversary is symbolised with paper in the US and cotton in the UK, and from there the materials become more precious or scarce to reflect the growing number of years a couple has remained together.

Exhibited at New Designers in London last month, the six products in Leanne’s collection utilise the humble materials that we associate with the first 10 years of marriage. The pieces include Paper Vessels, a Wooden Hand Mirror, an Iron Desk Tidy, a Copper Hot Water Bottle, a Bronze Candle Holder and an Aluminium Vase.

Crafted with care and precision, the product range is a smart and highly marketable idea that demonstrates the value of design over the monetary value of a material.

- A.Morris