Is Veganism the Future of Decor?
More consumers today seek cruelty-free products for their lives and homes. We look at what this means for design pros
Veganism — a lifestyle that excludes all forms of animal exploitation — is a growing industry. In December, The Economist dubbed 2019 The Year of the Vegan: According to the magazine, a quarter of people in the U.S. ages 25 to 34 consider themselves vegan or vegetarian. Likewise, a study carried out by Lantern, a Spanish consultancy firm specializing in the food market, noted that more than 3.6 million Spaniards consider themselves flexitarian (semivegetarian), vegetarian or vegan, while the number of vegetarian or vegan businesses in Spain has doubled to almost 800 over the past five years. These consumers drive a market that will grow to almost $5 million globally by 2020, according to the study.
A related trend toward vegan homes is opening a potential market for decor professionals. At a panel at the Madrid Design Festival, trend guru Lidewij Edelkoort suggested that veganism is one of the keys to decor in 2019. We explore what this means for professionals and consumers.
A related trend toward vegan homes is opening a potential market for decor professionals. At a panel at the Madrid Design Festival, trend guru Lidewij Edelkoort suggested that veganism is one of the keys to decor in 2019. We explore what this means for professionals and consumers.
The percentage of people who look for vegan options when purchasing has continued to increase. “In the world of fashion, for example, firms like Michael Kors and Gucci no longer use animal skin,” says DiMare, pictured with her dog.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, chose a vegan paint for the decor of her baby’s room, and many shelter publications reflect this.
As a result, adding vegan interiors to a professional’s list of services is starting to be a good business call. “If you have a client with allergies … vegan alternatives are ideal. A project doesn’t have to be 100 percent vegan; it can be vegan only in those aspects where the client needs it to be,” DiMare says.
DiMare’s courses on vegan interior design are a success among traditional design professionals who want to add a new type of service to their business.
18 Ways to Allergy-Proof Your Home
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, chose a vegan paint for the decor of her baby’s room, and many shelter publications reflect this.
As a result, adding vegan interiors to a professional’s list of services is starting to be a good business call. “If you have a client with allergies … vegan alternatives are ideal. A project doesn’t have to be 100 percent vegan; it can be vegan only in those aspects where the client needs it to be,” DiMare says.
DiMare’s courses on vegan interior design are a success among traditional design professionals who want to add a new type of service to their business.
18 Ways to Allergy-Proof Your Home
Why Are Vegan Homes on the Rise?
The main reasons for the vegan trend are a respect for animal life, a concern for personal health and a growing awareness of sustainability. The warning issued by the United Nations in October 2018 — that we have only 12 years to limit the effects of climate change — has begun to permeate all industries. We feel good if we choose products that respect the environment.
Cruelty-free, vegan homes also feature special interior design that allows pets to enjoy the house just as much as their owners. The Pets and the Home survey Houzz Spain carried out among its users revealed that 46 percent of households have a pet.
Browse stories about pet-friendly home design
The main reasons for the vegan trend are a respect for animal life, a concern for personal health and a growing awareness of sustainability. The warning issued by the United Nations in October 2018 — that we have only 12 years to limit the effects of climate change — has begun to permeate all industries. We feel good if we choose products that respect the environment.
Cruelty-free, vegan homes also feature special interior design that allows pets to enjoy the house just as much as their owners. The Pets and the Home survey Houzz Spain carried out among its users revealed that 46 percent of households have a pet.
Browse stories about pet-friendly home design
“Veganism is not about losing weight or eating healthy. It’s about living in a way that causes as little damage as possible to animals — all animals, not just those that we’ve decided deserve our protection, like pets,” says British interior designer and influencer Suszi Saunders, who showed the Daily Mail her 100 percent vegan home in London earlier this year. “Once I made the decision to go vegan, I felt like an immense weight slid off my shoulders. Finally, my actions had begun to adhere to my ethics. I love being surrounded by beautiful things that are not made of animals. My next goal is to make sure that my purchases are not only vegan, but also fair trade and organic.”
For now, it’s mostly people who already are aware who are creating vegan homes. But it’s time to think about the flip side of the coin: Can sitting on a vegan sofa encourage someone to make their own home cruelty-free? “That is our wish and our goal,” says Víctor Portavella of Spanish firm Atemporal Home Interiors, which makes vegan sofas, including the one in this picture. One of its three-seater sofas costs about $2,000.
For now, it’s mostly people who already are aware who are creating vegan homes. But it’s time to think about the flip side of the coin: Can sitting on a vegan sofa encourage someone to make their own home cruelty-free? “That is our wish and our goal,” says Víctor Portavella of Spanish firm Atemporal Home Interiors, which makes vegan sofas, including the one in this picture. One of its three-seater sofas costs about $2,000.
What Do ‘Vegan’ and ‘Cruelty-Free’ Really Mean?
A vegan designer uses products, materials and fabrics that do not contain or involve damage to, torture to or exploitation of any part of any living being and that do not harm our planet. A cruelty-free product is one that does not use any part of any living being and that has not been tested on animals. This description is based on the definition drawn up by The Vegan Society, which was founded in 1944 in the U.K. and is the oldest vegan association in the world.
Proponents of cruelty-free projects point out that animal skins used for furniture are treated with toxic products and chemical substances. There is another way. “Feather fillings are unnecessary. We can achieve the same comfort with fibers. This also prevents respiratory diseases and allergies,” Portavella says.
A vegan designer uses products, materials and fabrics that do not contain or involve damage to, torture to or exploitation of any part of any living being and that do not harm our planet. A cruelty-free product is one that does not use any part of any living being and that has not been tested on animals. This description is based on the definition drawn up by The Vegan Society, which was founded in 1944 in the U.K. and is the oldest vegan association in the world.
Proponents of cruelty-free projects point out that animal skins used for furniture are treated with toxic products and chemical substances. There is another way. “Feather fillings are unnecessary. We can achieve the same comfort with fibers. This also prevents respiratory diseases and allergies,” Portavella says.
Buying vegan furniture frequently requires in-depth research. You have to play detective, looking at labels and asking questions.
“It’s about opening customers’ eyes. We have to protect those who can’t protect themselves — animals and people forced to work in terrible conditions. Being ethical in the furniture we buy benefits our health and saves lives, human and otherwise, and is good for the planet. These are all advantages,” DiMare says.
Last year, DiMare published Vegan Interiors, and several readers have since written to tell her that they made the decision to turn their homes vegan after reading her book.
“It’s about opening customers’ eyes. We have to protect those who can’t protect themselves — animals and people forced to work in terrible conditions. Being ethical in the furniture we buy benefits our health and saves lives, human and otherwise, and is good for the planet. These are all advantages,” DiMare says.
Last year, DiMare published Vegan Interiors, and several readers have since written to tell her that they made the decision to turn their homes vegan after reading her book.
Many product designers and interior designers say it is impossible to avoid all forms of animal exploitation. As Saunders points out, it’s definitely not something that happens overnight. “I became a vegan three years ago, just before we moved to our new house, which needed a renovation. So it was the perfect opportunity to do it in a vegan way. It wasn’t possible to throw away all our nonvegan items, such as the wool rugs and leather chairs, but we have been able to replace or change them over the years,” she says.
Saunders, who has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram, was a winner of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ Vegan Home Awards 2018, which gives prizes for vegan decor items. PETA is a British charitable organization dedicated to establishing and protecting the rights of all animals.
Today, there are more options. Zara Home, a Spanish decor brand, is becoming increasingly committed to 100 percent ecological and natural materials. Its latest collection, for example, makes use of bamboo.
Saunders, who has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram, was a winner of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ Vegan Home Awards 2018, which gives prizes for vegan decor items. PETA is a British charitable organization dedicated to establishing and protecting the rights of all animals.
Today, there are more options. Zara Home, a Spanish decor brand, is becoming increasingly committed to 100 percent ecological and natural materials. Its latest collection, for example, makes use of bamboo.
Ikea’s Tejn rug, pictured on these chairs, was named the best sheepskin imitation rug at the PETA Vegan Homeware Awards 2017. No longer in production, it has been replaced by the Toftlund rug, made of 100 percent recycled polyester from plastic bottles.
Tell us: Are you incorporating vegan decor into your business? Are you hearing demand from your clients? Please share your stories in the Comments.
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Tell us: Are you incorporating vegan decor into your business? Are you hearing demand from your clients? Please share your stories in the Comments.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read other stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
While veganism has boomed in recent years, as Emily Turnbull of Studio Can Can in London said in an interview with Dezeen, design is still far behind the food industry. But maybe that’s about to change.