Our House Beautiful Story!
We are so honored to be featured as a Next Wave Designer in House Beautiful this month! In addition to our featured article, House Beautiful editor, Hadley Keller asked us for some tips to design more sustainably. Here is the article!
5 Easy Ways to Decorate More Sustainably
Here’s how to create a home that’s kinder to the whole planet.
NOV 15, 2019
These days, no conversation about design is complete without some mention of sustainability. Many designers are making commitments to supporting eco-friendly design a core part of their business—like Next Wave designer Laura Hodges, who seeks to fill both the homes she designs and her Baltimore, Domain, with pieces that are not only kind to the environment, but made with fair labor practices. “We have a responsibility not only to improve a space, but to improve the lives of people living there,” she says. “So we really try to pay attention to all that goes into it.” Here, Hodges shares five easy ways to be more sustainable and ethical when decorating.
1. Repurpose. Period. “One thing we always ask ourselves is, ‘Does this piece need to be made new?’ ” says Hodges. Reviving an antique makes just as much impact while creating less waste. For this family room, vintage accessories were styled into built-in bookshelves.
2. Buy local.It cuts down on energy used in shipping and it helps support small businesses. Here, the basket, throw, and side table came from Hodges’s locally sourced shop, Domain.
3. Donate what you can. Hodges urges renovators to look for local organizations, like Habitat ReStores, that accept cabinets, rugs, furniture, or building materials: “People think Goodwill is just for clothes, but it will take in more than that.”
4. Know the company ethics. Look for retailers that take responsibility for the whole process behind their goods—and the people who make them. “Keep an eye out for things labeled as fair trade,” Hodges advises. And if it’s something made nearby, visit the studio or factory.
5. Learn your labels. When selecting wooden pieces, like for the custom bed in this small-scale bedroom, Hodges looks for an FSC-certified purveyor or wood from a “rapidly renewable forest,” which will grow back sooner.
HADLEY KELLER Senior EditorHadley Keller is a writer and editor based in New York, covering design, interiors, and culture.