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Category: Interior design tips

  1. Interior Design Business podcast 'Sustainability: Your Questions Answered' - My FIVE TAKEAWAYS

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    Interior Design Business podcast Sept 22

     

    Five takeaways from The Interior Design Business podcast

     'Sustainability: Your Questions Answered' 

     

    It was great to be invited on to The Interior Design Business podcast again. A little different to last time which was mid Lockdown and via Zoom.... this was a live recording complete with an audience at the Chelsea showroom of sofa.com.

    Past BIID president Susie Rumbold moderated the discussion with fellow designers Alexandra Jurkiewicz, Creative Lead at Helen Green Design and David Chenery, founder and director of Object Space Place. Here’s the recording. 

     

    1. 'Sustainability' has so many interpretations and approaches - the three of us demonstrate that. It may feel daunting to step into - find what works for you and don't waiting until you can do it perfectly.  Designers and suppliers - please sign the Interior Design Declares pledge and learn with us.
    2. The best interior is one that exists - so be creative and reuse and show off your creativity.  There's lots of great storytelling as a result.
    3. Susie's had bad experience with recycled PET rugs - but don't let that put you off.  Retrieved sea plastic including PET and 'ghost' fishing nets are a great source of yarn used for carpets and fabrics. I'm very happy to use recycled problem-solving plastics while they are here - but obviously reduction of the source is what's desperately needed.
    4. Resale values and ability to repair are really important factors when making decisions.  Buy better. Buy preloved.
    5. We need to break the resource using traditional ways of doing things  - there are multiple approaches.  I'm adding David's book recommendation to my book queue... Rory Sutherland's Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense 

  2. Interior Design Declares - one year in!

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    Interior Design Declares

     

    Interior Design Declares - one year in!

    The end of March '22 marked the end of our first year as a community working together to improve our industry's shocking impact on the climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.

    "The UK construction industry contributes 25 million tonnes of waste to landfill every year. Worldwide, the construction industry contributes to 50% of all climate change, 40% of drinking water pollution, 23% of air pollution and 50% of landfill waste." *  

    Interior Design Declares is a community of interior design practices - small and large - as well as suppliers of goods and services to our industry.  We recognise we need to share learnings and learn together encourage our supply chains to improve.

    The great news is we have just had our 150th signatory.  

    It's been a wonderful experience to be a Founder member and see the whole thing set up - and working with fellow interior designers who are also passionate to improve our industry.   We're a voluntary group and meet monthly.  Our group has evolved into a Steering Group now as people have shifted around.  Our objective is to get the maximam impact - by attending panel discussions,  talks,  podcasts - whatever we can to extend our reach and influence others.  

    We’ve taken part in successful, well attended events – which generated new members and lots of debate – at WasteBuild, Planted, Surface Design Show,  FutureBuild, BIID Annual Conference ‘22 – Sustainability Showcase,  Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP)

    We’ve given interviews with The Interior Design Business, Quietmark and The Edge podcasts

    We’ve continued to contribute to the Built Environment Declares steering group – and have done another funding round to raise money to expand the information on our website - which is live now and where you can read more on the UK Declaration.

    We are also running the Global declaration and encouraging other countries to join us.  So far we have been joined by Finland.  Declarations from Egypt, USA and Australia are in the pipeline. 

    If you are reading this and want to join or help to set up a declation for the design industry in your country - we'd really welcome you!  Please apply here.

     

     

    * Source: Hawken, P., Lovins, E and Lovins, H, Natural, Capitalism – Creating the next Industrial Revolution, Little Brown and Co., 1999 369pp. 

  3. Vegan design - is it for me - I'm not vegan?!

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    It's been VEGANUARY  Have you given it a try? 

    It's what finally nudged me to be fully vegan 4 years ago - but it's not an 'all or nothing' thing!   Maybe it's encouraged you to swap out the occasional meal or ingredient for a vegan alternative?  My tip:  One Meal A Day is great inspiration for making those swaps. 

    There is so much on offer to help in terms of Facebook group support and the range of options when shopping.   It's a great opportunity to try out some different food - or even ones without animal content that taste just the same!  We don't have to always do things the same way - and all the time, the food on offer is changing and evolving and becoming more easily available.  



    So.... what has this got to do with interior design?! 

    How about making some swaps in the specifications you use in your interiors in the same way?  It's not only vegans who want to have less impact on the planet.   We are more aware of the impact we are having and know there are better choices to make .....and ....OH and BONUS!....many of the swaps come with a health benefit for the users of the spaces too.   Products are evolving all the time.  There's directories like Cradle to Cradle to help you.  Follow me on Instagram for more tips over the coming months.

    Many of my clients are looking inwards at their buying habits and in doing this, they have lots of talking points about those swaps too - which some use in their own marketing when it's a business interior!   Doing things in a new ways creates lots of stories to tell.

    Would you like some help?
    Here's my   FIVE TIPS FOR A SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR