Sustainability in the luxury market
As you sit reading this at home, in your office or even as you commute by train or taxi, look around you. The world we have constructed for ourselves is a vast one. Building upon building, filled with furniture and nick-naks, clothes and shoes, white goods and multimedia of all varieties. Whatever it is you’re looking at right now, there’s a good chance that it will end up in landfill. Maybe not today, maybe not next week but at some point it will be replaced by the next shiny temptation, the next more modern inclination, the next big thing.
“Whatever it is you’re looking at right now, there’s a good chance that it will end up in landfill. Maybe not today, maybe not next week but at some point it will be replaced by the next shiny thing, the next more modern inclination, the next big thing.”
Sustainability and recycling has been pushed to the forefront of people’s minds over the past few years as we start to become more aware of the finite resources the world has to offer – and our duty to protect them. Change is always driven by demand – for example, being vegan in the 70’s or 80’s would have been a challenging undertaking – with little understanding or willingness to cater for something seen as out of the mainstream. Fast forward 40 years and thanks in part to social media and increased awareness, people are better placed to be able to put pressure on companies to deliver. What starts with a few organisations taking a risk financially and developing products for a small but growing market, soon snowballs into every large company jumping on board with more and more choices available and so mainstream change is created.
The same can be said for the clothing, fabric and construction industries. Where once sustainability was at best an unplanned bonus credential or a by-product of a design created for an entirely different reason, it is now often the first criteria on the list for consumers and developers.
Now, creating high-end rooms needs to not only satisfy the clients wishes for luxury and design but also be achieved through the use of a range of sustainable fabrics and finishes.
“Now, creating high-end rooms needs to not only satisfy the clients wishes for luxury and design but also be achieved through the use of a range of sustainable fabrics and finishes.”
The team here are passionate about sustainability, circular economy and the environment anyway, but we’re always keen to do more; hence why we are developing our own range of fabrics and materials that offer more choice to clients with regard to environmental concerns.
Many of the wall fabrics we offer are made from 100% recycled raw materials consisting of post-industrial waste polyester created during the manufacture of polyester yarn. Rather than being scrapped and ending up in landfill, this waste goes back into the loop and is melted down and re-extruded into fibre. Others have been awarded the EU Ecolabel, meaning they must meet high environmental standards throughout their entire life cycle, as well as featuring Greenguard certification to ensure indoor pollution levels are taken into account.
Our timber-based wall panelling options can be traced back to their regional origin and information regarding renewable and post-consumer recycled materials is clearly specified, ensuring people can make informed choices. The same is the case with the stone we source as well as other materials in the range. We recently attended the Design Central Essex show at the beautiful Down Hall in Hatfield Heath, where it was encouraging to speak to fabric houses from across the UK who’s top priority was displaying and telling the story behind their new eco-friendly fabric ranges. From using ocean plastic to hemp and recycling waste fibres, it’s great to see innovating springing up across the industry.
We have recently created a brand new cinema seating range, currently at prototype stage, called ‘The Rockstar’ which will be launching in September. These beautifully crafted and upholstered chairs will have a 4 week lead time and be fully manufactured in the UK, just 1 mile from our showroom in rural Essex. This means we not only have full control over the production process, but also saves thousands of unnecessary transit miles importing from elsewhere in the country or abroad.
‘The Rockstar’
“These beautifully crafted and upholstered chairs will be fully manufactured in the UK, in fact, just 1 mile from our showroom in rural Essex.”
Within our own office environment we try to minimise paper usage as much as possible and all stationery that needs to be used is recyclable and sustainably sourced. A heat pump is used to heat the showroom which is more eco-friendly and doesn’t rely on fossil fuels. We will also be looking to update our vehicle fleet to electric vehicles at our next review.
These are small steps we are taking to reduce our carbon footprint and we will continue to build on our commitment to a greener future as we grow as a company, enabling others to join us and do the same.
