How can we be Sustainable in Interior Design?
Sustainability as it relates to interiors is a complex subject, but one that we’re are definitely seeing industry and clients alike become more concerned with. It’s certainly something that plays on my mind, having come from a fast-fashion background and seeing just how little regard is placed on manufacturing practices that are so destructive to people and planet, I knew I didn’t want that happening in my own business.
But in a world of greenwashing, what exactly defines a sustainable product? The word means different things to everyone. There is no one right way to be sustainable - everyone will have their own environmental and ethical priorities which will translate to differing requirements. Some questions we can ask of our suppliers and retailers to gauge their commitment to sustainable practices are:
Is the item (or its components) locally made or sourced?
Do they have a responsible waste disposal system?
What is the toxicity of the product to people/planet?
Does it make use of any recycled material?
Does the product in question actively reduce energy/water consumption? This is particularly important when sourcing bathroom items.
Does the product contain natural or synthetic materials?
Are the people involved in production paid fairly and do they have a decent working environment?
We are never going to be able to tick every box here, the best we can do is work out what our personal priorities are and try and align our choices as a consumer as best we can. The advantage of working with a interior designer is that someone else has already done the research for you and gives you access to a black book of preferred suppliers who do tick these boxes.
Perfection in this area is a totally unrealistic goal, my own home could not be called entirely sustainable by any means, but as Maya Angelou said, “when we know better, we do better.” I can’t do anything about the dodgy purchases I have made in the past, but because I know more now, I feel it’s my responsibility to make much more considered purchases in future. And sometimes the sustainable choice just isn’t possible, and that’s ok - we can only do what we can do.
Sustainability can be as simple as reusing items we already have in creative ways. In a bathroom I worked on recently we re-enamelled an existing bath, used offcuts from their kitchen worktops to create a stunning bespoke vanity unit, blasted and resprayed a vintage mirror they’d had for years, and repurposed Victorian bath taps the client had sourced at Ardingly Antiques Fair. The end result looked considered, elegant and luxurious and not at all like it had been cobbled together from odds and ends. In my experience it actually takes more creative energy to bring together repurposed items like this than to source new and it can result in some really inventive outcomes!
There is always room for improvement, but we are seeing advances in this area all the time and fingers crossed we will continue to do so. There are some companies who I love working with who make it easy to make good choices - Edward Bulmer paints, Haines Collection fabrics, Naturalmat mattresses and bedding are a few that spring to mind.
As a designer I will always strive to choose sustainable and ethically sourced products where I can for my clients. There are so many choices available now, it would be remiss not to.
If you want to find out more about ways we can work together and bring sustainable design to life in your home, click here.