Designer Tips for Decorating With Sustainability in Mind
In this episode of Houzz TV Live, designer Susan Van Meter of SVM Interiors in London talks with Kiya Kelly of the Houzz communications team. Van Meter shares advice on incorporating sustainable practices into interior design. Sourcing local products reduces C02 emissions. Choosing wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council can promote responsible forest management. And using paint that is nontoxic or low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) helps create healthy indoor air.
Van Meter also highlights several renovation projects in which she incorporated sustainable practices for her clients and offers suggestions for homeowners who want to do the same.
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Please provide information on sources for sustainable materials outside the UK as well. My husband and I are in northern Illinois in the US.
The best thing you can do for sustainable design is to design in a timeless manner so all those wonderful sustainable materials don't end up in the landfill in ten years. It is very unlikely they will be recycled or reused because we are awash with material things. What makes things valuable is their relative rarity such as antiques - timelessly designed and well made - worth saving and using for as long as they last. The flavor of the week goes out of fashion quickly.
You can look at the outside of this home and know the interior is designed in a timeless manner.
Love the work you do !!!! and Love what you stand for ...
You are pretty amazing !!!!
I love the creativity blended with your true passion for sustainability. Interior spaces are so much more interesting when you infuse them with earth friendly products, nature and objects that tell a personal story. Simply beautiful!
from design to construction to use, our buildings need to be rethought in a circular way, so they can be recicled or reused. Solar and wind can help, rainwater and grey waters reuse can also help, its a whole new approach...
A wonderful feature! Thank you Susan and Kiya! Cumulatively, all of the small choices really do add up significantly. The integrity of the product choices flows through to a wider sense of wellbeing for the inhabitants (hopefully, for many generations to come!). I think an appreciation of heritage features is also vital to sustainability, as well as style; celebrating what is there and avoiding the harmful processes innate in demolition and landfill (whilst preserving the 'genius loci' or spirit of place). This is applicable to absolutely all fields - would love to see more segments like this.
As someone severely allergic to VOCs, I can attest that the only VOC-free paints in the UK are: Lakeland Paints, Little Knights, and Nordfarg. All other brands with any VOCs are super toxic.