Jonathan Tuckey, Tuckey Design Studio
Your site is a resource. We often work with existing buildings and sometimes an obvious material solution is hidden in plain sight. A house we recently designed in Wiltshire was constructed from the very ground on which it sits. Equal parts clay, water, demolition aggregate and limestone from a local quarry form monolithic, unstabilised (ie no cement or concrete in the mix) rammed earth walls. Reinterpreting readily available material is critical when creating sustainable, considerate designs that are rooted in the local context.
Lonika Chande
Where fire doors are not required, such as secondary doors or cupboard and pantry doors, we often specify reclaimed ones. They are not only readily available and sustainable, but I think they usually look better, too. I like partially glazed reclaimed doors, as they create depth by allowing you to see the space beyond. For areas such as bathrooms, where you might want a little more privacy, we add fabric panels or ruched curtains, often made from beautiful antique textiles.
Clare Gaskin
Materials provide one of the biggest opportunities to embed sustainability into your design. I particularly love using cork in my schemes – it is natural, long-lasting and biodegradable. It is also a renewable resource, as it can be harvested without harming the tree and the outer bark will then regenerate. We use cork for everything from flooring and wall finishes to joinery details, and even in pieces of furniture or lighting. These days it is available in a wide variety of tones, patterns and textures, making it much more flexible in terms of aesthetics.
Max Rollitt
It may sound obvious, but buy pieces that will endure fads. Antiques are not just timeless in design, but they were also built to last, to be moved, to be knocked and to be repaired. That antiques are repairable is part of their joy. If you love something, restore it. We choose natural and lower-impact upholstery materials, like calico, hair, hessian and natural latex.
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Sophie Rowell, Côte de Folk
Give items a new lease of life rather than just replacing them for a more characterful space. An old bed or your grandmother’s chair can be re-covered and given a removable frill. We like to seek out vintage textiles and end-of-roll fabrics, and we once created a striped sofa combining seven old and new fabrics, including a silk kimono belt.
Nicola Harding
When embarking on a new project, think carefully about how someone else can, if required, undo your work further down the line. It might be fitting something in a way that enables it to be removed without damaging it. When your kitchen is being installed, for example, use removable fasteners and opt for modular construction, as it makes each of the elements easier to disassemble and reuse elsewhere. Avoid glue for fitted carpet and instead choose double-sided carpet tape, loose-lay installation or traditional grippers and underlay. Using freestanding items of furniture for storage also allows maximum flexibility and keeps the walls of a house intact.
Patrick Williams, Berdoulat
The most sustainable way to decorate is not to decorate. But if you must, use natural materials, including paint. Many people do not realise just how nasty a lot of modern ones are. They are harmful not only to the planet, but also to the buildings and the people who live in them. I love not feeling guilty when washing out brushes used to apply natural paints from the likes of Edward Bulmer and Atelier Ellis.
Sophie Goldhill, Liddicoat & Goldhill
Ask your architect how they avoid carbon-heavy materials. We make our designs sustainable by ditching steel and concrete, for example. In doing so, we are unearthing the potential of raw quarried stone and breathing new life into reclaimed marble and timber. It is all about minimising our footprint, but also crafting spaces with soul and stories.
