New Year Revolution
While interiors trends come and go, sustainability is the word on everyone’s lips right now, and unlike hygge or maximalism, it’s a movement that’s here to stay. Focusing not only on what we shop for, but also how we shop, we can change our consumer habits for the better – and for good. Let’s start the new year as we mean to go on…
West London design studio Run For The Hills unveiled ‘Into the Wild’ at 2019’s Decorex International. The concept was a cool kid’s bedroom fit for a little eco warrior – and one that puts sustainability at the fore. In celebrating the eco-conscious brands the studio works with, the fantasy room set is filled with organic and environmentally friendly products to inspire. The hero piece is the Princess and the Pea bed, 100 per cent sustainable and handcrafted by Naturalmat; at the side of the multi-mattress bed sits Pinch’s Twig vertical side table, made from coppiced hazel; while the walls are covered in Earthborn’s nasties-free clay paint. (runforthehills.com)
Rockett St George is starting 2020 with a mission statement that outlines the brand’s commitment to sustainability, and we’re all for it. Co-founder Jane Rockett says in the new Eco Policy: “Sustainability is at the heart of modern-day contemporary design and as the demand for beautiful interiors continues to grow, so does our responsibility as a British brand to go beyond legal and regulatory requirements to provide more eco-conscious products… .” Just one of the environmentally-friendly homewares on offer at the online emporium is the Le Feu Ground bio-ethanol fireplace, a free-standing (read perfectly portable) unit that runs entirely on biofuel. From £1,399 (rockettstgeorge.co.uk)
Launched late last year, Ark One is a luxury flooring brand that takes its environmental impact seriously. The company, set up by Jago Anderson (formerly of Element7) not only uses ethically- sourced wood across its flooring offering, but can also confidently trace each piece of timber back to the very tree it came from. The company promises to re-plant two trees for each one cut down, ensuring forests are actively replenished and responsibly managed, while every element of the tree is used in the production process, whether as part of the flooring itself or as wood pellets. Sustainable luxury underfoot. From £115 per sq m (arkone.co.uk)
Sustainability can simply mean a commitment to buy less of the trend-led, throwaway products on offer and instead, invest our hard-earned cash into beautifully crafted pieces designed to last a lifetime. This concept is second nature to Carl Hansen & Son, whose craftspeople have, for more than 100 years, created furniture pieces that stand the test of time. Upping the game further, the iconic Danish brand now launches Ole Wanscher’s classic Colonial Chair upholstered in Kvadrat’s innovative and environmentally friendly Re-wool. With its elegant frame crafted from sustainably sourced oak, we can now sit back and relax on richly textured, recycled wool. £1,516 exc VAT (carlhansen.com)
Smaller brands with a conscience are to be championed, and as consumers and design-lovers, this year, we’re making it our job to seek them out. Just launched, Lazuli Design is an interior décor company founded by Irishwoman (by way of Kenya and now London) Pandora McCormick. Visiting Uganda as a child, Pandora remembers seeing barkcloth being sold at the side of the road and the intriguing material has stayed with her since. One of the oldest fabrics known to man, barkcloth, which is handmade by skilled artisans, is 100 per cent sustainable and with its terracotta-hued texture, lends itself to bespoke lighting. Invest in a beautifully hand-crafted lampshade. From £150 (lazulidesign.co.uk)