How the design community is traversing the road to sustainability
Panelists weighed in on some best ways for incorporating sustainable practices into the design business during a seminar at High Point Market.
HIGH POINT—Whether it is taking big steps or making small but steady strides, the home furnishings and interior design industries are marching forward on sustainability and approaching the issue from many directions.
A panel titled “Green Revolution: The Future of Sustainable Sourcing” in the Sherrill showroom, moderated by Allison Zisko and sponsored by Revolution Fabrics, presented some ways in which designers are already incorporating sustainable practices into their day-to-day business.
For Cheryl Luckett, owner of Dwell by Cheryl in Charlotte, N.C., one option is to take cast-off furniture from interior design projects and repurpose it as furnishings used by people coming out of homelessness. Another is to install energy-efficient window treatments that save on heating or cooling costs for homeowners, while yet another is to source sustainably made fabrics.
The practice with vacation rentals historically was to throw away everything and redesign, said Jessica Duce, principal and founder of JDuce Design, Houston, and founder of the Vacation Rental Designers Collective and the Vacation Rental Design Summit. But Duce’s preference is to see if pieces can be repurposed, even moving them to another room; as well as investing in long-lasting furniture and fabrics so they don’t become fodder for landfills.
Nancy Fire, chief inspiration officer and founder of New York-based Nancy Fire Designs, said it’s important to start with furniture and furnishings that are durable. This, in turn, makes products better candidates for reuse. Fire said there is a long list of organizations that repurpose or recycle furniture.
Local sourcing is important to her, said Luckett, who also uses vintage pieces. “Don’t get rid of things just because you can,” she said.
Each new iteration of High Point Market is presenting more products with some sustainable aspect, noted Luckett, who said “it’s becoming more mainstream.” She also urged manufacturers who are making an effort to be sure to tell the story of what they are doing.
Designers and their clients can seek out products that have received third-party certifications, said Fire. While it may be a more involved process, she noted, “the point of it is that once you have the seal, people know you’re not greenwashing.”
Of course, the designers said, some issues they confront are how much will it cost to go the sustainable route and how long-lasting will these products be?
Luckett said she will tell clients that while it may be more expensive to source sustainably made products at the front end, there will be positive impacts in the long-term.
Duce recalled a time when she wanted a client to make a purchase of something that was sustainable and, when they balked at making it, she raised the price and then told them there was a rebate that came with the purchase, which got them on board.
Education is a key component in moving sustainable practices forward, but Fire said she also sees it as a generational issue. “I think the younger generation is concerned,” she said.
The idea of adopting sustainable practices often begins with small steps, which in Duce’s case is making sure products are reused. “When I pick my lane, my lane is anything that can be used for someone else,” she said.
Luckett shared some key things her firm does on every project, including recycling, donating cast-offs and using energy-efficient lightbulbs. “Compounded over time, it makes a bigger statement,” she said. “We don’t miss the opportunity to educate the client and push out information to them. I feel everyone wants to do good,” she said.
Fire urged everyone to do their research and look for what is natural or circular or to explore new materials. Sources such as the Parsons Healthy Materials Lab, which exhibited at High Point Market in the 313 Space, can introduce people to a wide array of products ranging from paint to building materials to textiles.
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