If you have a love of nature, the countryside, wildlife or our planet, sustainable interior design is something that is likely to be on the agenda. But it can be hard to understand what truly is considered sustainable.
So, let’s start by understanding what sustainable could really mean, as it is not a simple classification, several factors play into whether a product or service is considered sustainable in home design services:
- Businesses with ethics aligned to environmental and natural world sustainability efforts.
- The source of materials and associated carbon footprint of production or of shipping that product.
- The use of recycled materials or the ability to be recycled.
- Whether there is a reduced impact to the environment during production processes.
- Reduced waste and emissions both in manufacturing and in delivery.
- Use of local (in our case UK) manufacturers, tradespersons and crafts.
- The durability/longevity of items to reduce a throw away culture and benefit from your Return On Investment (ROI).
All of these deserve a genuine credit towards sustainability, and if you can combine more than one, then reach around and give yourself a pat on the back.
But where do we start when it comes to sustainable interior design… from the ground up of course!
Carpets and flooring – where possible aim to use natural materials as these are kinder to the environment and to our health. Natural wood either reclaimed or grown with The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation is a good start. Cork is fantastically sustainable as it regenerates itself. If it is carpet look for wool, undyed wool even better but for those that are concerned about launching a glass of red wine across their pristine woollen carpet, consider PET (polyethylene terephthalate). PET is a material manufactured entirely from recycled plastic. It’s remarkably soft and theoretically virtually wipeable to keep clean.
Paint is a décor staple… We are now blessed with companies that not only collect but distribute recycled paint, although the range of colour may be more limited. Top credentials to look out for when buying new are low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints, which contain less harmful chemicals, emit less harmful pollutants and therefore limit adding to the impact of greenhouse gasses.
Wallpaper follows along much of the same lines but its often hard to get the details on a specific sample. Credentials to look out for are those made from renewable sources such as natural products, bamboo or recycled paper, low VOC, recyclable or biodegradable qualities for their end of life.
Metals are used extensively in our interiors, door hardware to lighting fixtures, sculptures and more, our top tip is look for products that are from highly recyclable sources. Brass for example is almost infinitely recyclable, and fear not, if polished chrome or aged bronze is your preference, it can be coated with a variety of finishes to make it look like a completely different.
Furniture and Fabrics follow suit… go natural where you can, choose feathers over foams, purchase higher quality pieces where the durability will stand the test of time and reupholstery becomes worth it.
One of the worst fabrics is Polyester which is appealingly cheap but extremely damaging environmentally in its production processes. Modern fabric stain treatments are jaw droppingly amazing; we’ve seen a 3-year-olds pink fluorescent highlighter artwork removed from a cream sofa with just water in minutes… The air remained blue for slightly longer however.
Go local. Whether it’s the manufacturer being UK based, or using a local tradesperson over a multi-national organisation, you will be helping the sustainability of our environment and of your local economy.
And finally, during any interior revamp, the inevitable packaging and waste starts to accumulate, prepare some dedicated bags and containers to organise waste and arrange for these to be distributed to recycling facilities. Always check the credentials of any waste removal companies, you want those that hold recognised environmental certifications, such as ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) or the Carbon Trust Standard.