An Interior Designers’ Role in Sustainability
Interior Designers have a responsibility to introduce their clients to sustainable and ethical pieces for their home.
SUSTAINABILITY
More frequently, people are choosing a sustainable lifestyle over mindless, seemingly easy living. Consideration and care are being adopted into the way people shop, parent, socialise and work. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a plastic bag when shopping and I’m hearing people in cafes and restaurants complain that their drink came with a plastic straw. As an interior designer, I’m the “middle man” between consumer and supplier, and I have a role of responsibility in the process as well - to introduce and encourage onshore, ethical brands in my clients’ home. I’m passionate about sustainable, Australian design - it’s a highly considered aspect of my design process.
I recently received an email from beloved Australian furniture makers, Jardan, with a Sustainability Report, summarising their progress and goals in 2019. I think it’s an incredible initiative - and I commend the company for holding themselves accountable. Whilst I’m sure many furniture companies are following in their footsteps, unfortunately it is quite difficult to find them. Over the years I’ve been building relationships with companies that focus on sustainable and ethical manufacturing and trade practices. Even if the pieces are produced offshore, I encourage the use of companies which follow sustainable design processes. “...From the way we conceptualise our products, right through to manufacture and delivery, we’ve taken steps to reduce waste and energy use, offset our carbon footprint, and incorporate key environmental, social, and economic considerations throughout the entire product lifecycle,” (Jardan, 2019).
2019 [https://www.jardan.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Jardan-Docs_Sustainability-Report_2019_Digital.pdf]
2022 [https://www.jardan.com.au/pages/sustainability-2022]
Interior Designers have a responsibility to introduce their clients to sustainable and ethical pieces for their home. We proudly use pieces from companies like Jardan, Koskela, Totem Road, Coopers Store and Planet Furniture, but there are countless other ways we are able to practice a sustainable design process with our clients.
My company follows a firm design system and process for each project, to ensure that we avoid expensive, time consuming errors which can double the eco footprint unnecessarily (read more about our process here). By removing any chance of mistakes, we cut down on the use of technology and as a studio we are proudly almost completely paper free!
For our larger renovation projects, we consider how sunlight can play an important role in easing the use of electricity to fulfil heating and lighting needs. Placing your living windows within the movement of the sun can harness warmth throughout the day and well into the evening. And if you’re starting from scratch with the building process, there is an opportunity to select eco-friendly building products that have incredible heating properties. Sometimes the only difference between a cold room and a warm room is a gap beneath your front or back door that can easily be filled. Go through your home and discover how your property could improve in micro and macro ways. Developing awareness is always the first step.
Go vintage! We love incorporating our clients original pieces into the finished design. Not only is it comforting for our clients to include items which remind them of their family and past, but it is an effortless way to completely remove use of additional furniture and any waste associated. An interior that incorporates vintage, always looks beautiful!
We prefer working with trades who consider their environmental footprint as well. Whether it be the low/no VOC paint used on your walls, the elimination of any site waste or the type of light globes used - we encourage the entire design process from concept to completion to be sustainable and conscious.
When we establish supplier relationships, we look into the origin of the furniture they produce. Many brands advertise assembling their pieces in Australia, but with some research you’ll discover the smaller components are all factory produced offshore. If this is the case, how do you know they are manufacturing ethically? It is so important to know your brands - and to know what questions to ask them as well. This is another reason to bring an interior designer (who really cares about sustainability) onboard for your project.
Regardless of our professional roles, we all play a serious part in caring for our global home and those within it. Our team encourage sustainable products, processes and systems for our clients. We can all do our little bit to have a positive impact on the planet.
Maybe all you can do today is forward this article to someone you thought of whilst reading. So please send it on and think of one small way you can reduce your impact on the Earth today.
If you’re interested in hearing more or talking about your project, feel free to book a call!
We can talk through what’s working, what’s not and some tips on how you can move one step closer to living that more conscious and considered life you’ve been wanting.
Thought of someone whilst reading this? Send it to them and see what they think!
