Why we sell design by the kilo

Every piece in the Sand Store is priced the same way: its weight in kilograms, times one rate, plus any fitted parts such as glass or a lighting kit. The rate is €158 per kilogram, including VAT. It is the same for a candle holder and a dining table, and the same for every designer in the collective.

Think of a vintage kilo store, but for contemporary design.

Why by weight

It is honest about what the piece is. Every piece is printed in the same material, by the same process, at the same rate. The sand is the cost. Pricing by weight says so plainly.

Anyone can check it. Collectible design is often priced on request, or set by a gallery's sense of what a name is worth. Here the number on the label is weight × €158. A buyer can work it out before asking, and an architect can budget a project from a spreadsheet.

It is fair between designers. One rate for every designer means no piece is priced up or down for the name on it. A first collection and an established studio sit side by side at the same rate per kilogram, and the work has to speak for itself.

What it rewards

Pricing by weight changes how pieces are designed.

• Detail costs nothing. A lattice prints in the same time as a block and uses less sand, so it costs less. Ambitious form isn't penalised.
• Hollow pays. A hollow piece looks the same from outside and uses a fraction of the sand. A 500 mm sphere weighs about 111 kg solid and about 45 kg with a 40 mm wall: about 59% less to pay.
• Mass is a choice. When a designer makes a piece heavy, it is because the weight does something: stability for a table, presence for a sculpture, warmth in the hand.

What the price includes

Printing, resin infiltration and hand finishing. Fitted parts are listed separately with their own price, so you can see exactly what you pay for a glass top or a clock movement. Delivery is shown in your quote. The price in your quote is fixed: small differences in the weight of the finished piece never change it.

What it means for designers

Designers in the collective don't pay for production, images, the store or shipping. They earn a royalty on every sale of their pieces and keep the credit for every piece. Because every piece is sold at the same rate per kilogram, a designer's income grows with the pieces people choose, not with a markup they have to negotiate. More in How to get your furniture design produced.

Trade

Architects, interior designers and studios buying for a project get a reduced rate per kilogram. Apply for trade pricing.

Questions

What does priced by weight mean?

The price of a piece is its weight in kilograms multiplied by one fixed rate, plus any fitted parts. At Blacksand the rate is €158 per kilogram including VAT.

Is the rate the same for every designer?

Yes. Every piece in the Sand Store, by every designer, is priced at the same rate per kilogram.

Why is a bigger piece sometimes cheaper?

Because price follows weight, not size. A large hollow vase can weigh less than a small solid block.

Does the price change if my piece comes out heavier?

No. The price in your quote is fixed.