European-inspired design
Sustainability not so new abroad
by Laura Koshel
Although the idea of decorating a home using sustainable elements is only now gaining steam in the United States, the movement has been established and developed in European countries for the past decade. For example, in Italy and the United Kingdom designers and manufacturers are finding unique ways to use recycled materials and create new home décor items that have less impact on the environment.
Recycling in the U.K.
The concerns of preserving the environment and the abundance of waste materials are making room for new ways of using old materials. Aaron Moore of Re-Form Furniture in the U.K. has been converting plastic sheets made from recycled consumer and industrial plastic into pieces of furniture for the past 10 years. His inspiration comes from the material, and the result is modern chairs that are durable and strong.
Another U.K. company, Eco Home, specializes in British-designed and European Union-manufactured home furnishings that are made by utilizing old office furniture, railway sleepers, and canal locks. Upholstery pieces such as sofas and chairs are made with organic cotton batting, adhesives and wood finishes free from volatile organic compounds (VOCs), latex rubber core for cushioning, and certified organic fabrics.
Recyclable and fully biodegradable cork not only is used for durable flooring abroad, but it’s also ideal for making stools. The cork is heat pressed, which brings out its natural sap so that no synthetic glues are used. When new timber is used to manufacture furniture, Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is required in order for it to pass sustainability standards. Recycled cardboard is used to produce tables and playhouses, while glass and plastic bottles are recycled and made into a variety of home-decorating items such as lampshades, glasses, jugs, and vases.
Although there are different ways to use and recycle byproducts of various industries, furnishing companies and designers are concerned with finding ways to make packaging materials — and plastic wrapping in particular — more sustainable.
In west London, Eco Age Ltd. offers clients a one-stop shopping experience with a full range of eco-friendly products for the home, coupled with sustainability consulting and interior design services. The store, which opened in 2008, offers soft furnishings, gadgets, gifts, appliances, building materials and finishes, renewable technologies, heating systems insulation, green roofing and walls, public building consulting, and business and residential consulting.
“For most of the products we offer, there’s not really a different aesthetic concept from the standard products out there,” says Nicola Giuggioli, the shop’s owner and a sustainability expert.
“Often, if not always, the new aim of the manufacturer is to produce a sustainable product that doesn’t actually look recycled or in any way different from what the market offers,” he adds. “They therefore look gorgeous, interesting and solid. The only real difference is that they stimulate more senses than average products.”
Reusing in Italy
In Milan, one designer in particular is making a business out of reusing and reworking interiors. Interior designer Nicole Langelier recently introduced a project called Quick-Fix Design that focuses on reusing items homeowners have and giving them a not only a second life, but a new function as well.
“We really hate to create waste, so we reuse as much as we can,” she says.
From recovering furniture pieces to using stacked books as side tables, utilizing vintage fabrics for pillows, and making lampshades from coat hangers and fabric pieces, nothing is thrown away.
“At Quick-Fix Design, we prefer to keep our carbon footprint low by finding the hidden beauty in the object,” Langelier says.
It also helps her clients keep their decorating budgets low in difficult economic times.
Laura Koshel is owner and decorator of INTERIORS by Decorating Den of Chapel Hill. To learn more, call (919) 389-6444 or visit www.decdens.com/lkoshel.