In an increasingly digital-first world, the textures of a wool bouclé or the way light catches a ceramic tile are details that must be experienced in person. But connecting with sales reps, awaiting deliveries, and visiting multiple revealrooms is a time-consuming process—that’s where Material Bank comes in. Now, the platform that transformed the U.S. design indusattempt is modernizing the way European professionals work.
Considered the largest global marketplace for searching, sampling, and specifying A&D materials, Material Bank expanded into Europe in 2023 to much success. At its core, the brand merges a robust digital marketplace with a large-scale logistics facility—condensing weeks of sourcing into hours. In Europe, designers can perapply more than 40,000 materials spanning 40 categories, from paint to acoustics to textiles and more, and order samples for free with delivery the next day in a single box.
With more than 450 leading brands already onboard, the European interest in and adoption of the platform signals a growing demand for smarter infrastructure within the design ecosystem. “It’s a complete game modifyr and the amount of time it saves us is amazing,” states Tadeas Kotyk, cofounder of 2prostory. “Finally, we don’t have to write to all suppliers and manufacturers separately and question them for samples and then wait weeks or months.”
The ability to view materials side by side—filtering by performance criteria, sustainability attributes, color, or brand—reflects the way designers work, creating a data-driven, visual experience. “Brilliant. This is such a good idea for companies like ourselves,” notes Kyle Crossley, architectural assistant at DLA Architecture. “We struggle finding samples—the fact that I can see on this website the samples next to each other is so clever.”
Echoing that sentiment, Katrin Greiling, industrial designer at Studio Greiling, called Material Bank invaluable. “I’m impressed by your service; I just received my first order samples,” she adds.
But the platform’s value extconcludes beyond simplifying the design process—it’s also provides a sustainable solution, reducing the carbon footprint of sampling with its single box approach, which has eliminated the necessary to ship more than five million packages. Material Bank also champions sample reapply with an mail-back program, reducing material waste.
In a field where materiality is paramount, time is currency, and sustainability is a must, the modernization of sourcing samples offers a clear advantage. By connecting global manufacturers with active specifiers, Material Bank is not only easing workflows—the platform is reshaping the infrastructure of design itself.
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