The principles of sustainable design
Vintage furniture can add interest to a contemporary interiors
Over the last few years, clients have become more aware of interior design's impact on the environment. Though not as impactful as the fashion industry, the interior design industry creates many billion tonnes of waste. As a result, clients may want to refresh their interior every few years. Though this might be a boon for the interior design industry, it has enormous ramifications.
Corporate entities have started to use the metric ESG to measure their impact on their environment and social responsibility. ESG is an acronym standing for the environment, social, and governance, where environment denotes reducing carbon and other greenhouse emissions or generally protecting the environment. Social criteria look into how entities manage the relationship between and among stakeholders. At the same time, governance denotes practising fairness and transparency in the management and actively disclosing information to the relevant stakeholders.
Though the average residential interior design client may not have such as well developed policy, it is essential to at least attempt to be aware of the impact of environmental sustainability on interior design.
Design for the long term
Interior designers have a lot of impact on the amount of waste that they create. Therefore, it is essential to try and reuse as much of an interior as possible. Reusing the carcass of a kitchen and just changing the doors is just one of the ways that a designer may reduce waste. In addition, there is a growing interest in upcycling, incorporating vintage and antique furniture. Instead of throwing out furniture, creative interior designer can use their expertise to give them a fresh new look.
2. Consider the lifespan
It is tempting to run out to IKEA to kit out your new space. However, for pieces that need to be hard-wearing- sofas, dining chairs etc. A designer should consider the lifespan of the furniture that they wish to use. Better quality furniture, though more expensive, will save money in the long run. Choose quality over quantity, it is a choice that you won’t regret.
3. Design for flexibility
As people grow and change, they want surrounding spaces to grow with them. Designing a space where elements can be switched out, or adapted with changing needs, is the key to sustainability.
