Cynefn

CYNEFN (Kin∙evn)

Derived from the Welsh word Cynefin, the place where you feel you ought to live, where the nature feels right and welcoming. Where your soul feels at home.

Cynefn was born in a global pandemic, at a time of great uncertainty, political unrest and amidst a growing mental health and environmental crisis. Our mission is to welcome you home, to your personal Cynefn, or “Soul place” where you feel safe and comforted in your environment, home, and mind.

Our carefully curated collection of remastered antique illustrations, vintage protest posters, modern art prints, and textiles provide a quick and affordable way to express your identity, share your values and create your own Cynefn – whether that be a cosy bedroom sanctuary, motivational home office, or creative and educational children’s playroom.

All of our products are curated and designed with love in South Wales and produced by our global network of trusted partners to meet our sustainability and quality guidelines.

Equality and transparency are particularly important to us at Cynefn, we embrace diversity and hope to grow an inclusive community where everyone feels at home. We donate a percentage of all profits to environmental charities and ocean clean-up projects. We will never sell or promote animal products.

Meet Laura, our founder

Laura is an illustrator-designer who has created artwork for clients including Hyatt Regency and The Royal Mint, she is the illustrator-author of #OOTD, The Fashion Flat Lay Colouring Book.

At the age of 40, Laura discovered she was on the Autistic spectrum and suffering from Autistic Burnout – a severe state of physical and emotional exhaustion, brought on by the strain of trying to keep up with the demands of a world designed for neurotypical people.

After a period of recovery and adjusting to her new normal, Laura found comfort in her surroundings at home and spending time outdoors in nature. She founded Cynefn to help others seeking comfort, affirmation and belonging during these uncertain and unsettling times. Every product in our store is hand picked or designed by Laura, drawing on her background as an illustrator and her education in Art History and Interior Design.

At Cynefn, we’re working on being kinder to our planet and reducing the environmental impact of our products and services.

How are we doing this?

– We only produce items we get an order for, avoiding paper and textile waste from overproduction.

– We partner with a network of global printers, meaning your product is manufactured as close to you as possible, reducing its carbon footprint. Our partner’s state-of-the-art printing technology creates almost no wastewaters and uses less energy.

– We do not supply or promote any products derived from animals, including fur, wool or leather – or produce, promote or stock any products which have been tested on animals.

– We provide eco-friendly care instructions for our products where applicable.

– Our team work remotely eliminating emmissions from the daily commute.

– We offer a range of artwork available via digital download which you can print immediately at home, eliminating external manufacturing processes, packaging and shipping services.

– We pledge to regularly donate to environmental causes via fundraising campaigns and donations from selected product lines.

Innovative printing technology and materials
Our textile based products are printed with the direct-to-garment (DTG) printing method. The printing tech we use is made with sustainability in mind, and our DTG printers use almost zero wastewater and less energy, lowering our carbon footprint.

The inks we use for printing are water-based and free of harmful chemicals. We take care to dispose of any left-over ink according to the ink supplier guidelines, so we’re not harming the environment.

Each product you see on our site is made on-demand, which means once you place the order, we start working to get it to you. It takes time for us to create and send out the product, but making each order on-demand allows us to avoid overproduction.

We continually monitor our production process and work with our partners to reduce our impact on the environment.