$200,000 on Freight a Year

One of the key problems we set out to solve when we created the Architecture + Design Library (ADL) was reducing the waste and cost associated with freight and shipping in our industry.⁠

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Back in 2019, the year before we opened ADL, I did the math and realised (as a designer) I had spent well over $1,000 just on shipping samples back to suppliers—fabrics, tiles, wallpapers, flooring, you name it. That was pre-COVID, pre-inflation… Can you imagine what that number would be now?⁠

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Fast forward to last year. One of our Brand Members was considering whether to renew their membership and display licence. So, we cheekily asked, “Out of curiosity, how much do you actually spend on shipping samples out to designers each year?”⁠

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The answer floored us: $200,000.⁠

Just. On. Freight.⁠

That doesn’t even include the cost of producing those samples, the packaging, or the admin time involved in managing it all. And then there's the other side—designers, architects, builders, and specifiers having to send those samples back (if they do!) or, more often, tossing them in the bin. It’s wasteful, expensive, and frustrating for everyone.⁠

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Now, contrast that with what we offer at ADL.⁠

We know for a fact that at least 25 of our members are actively using products from that particular brand member’s display, and even more non-members are coming in to browse and borrow from their setup in our sample library. That’s over 25 people who don’t need to request individual samples. Over 25 people who can pop into the library any day—24/7 for ADL members—and grab exactly what they need for a project.⁠

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No endless scrolling.⁠

No guessing if it’s the right colour, texture, or scale.⁠

No shipping costs.⁠

No waste.⁠

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Just a smarter, more sustainable way to work.

Do you want easy access to sampling? Check out our memberships