HOW-TO DESIGN SUSTAINABLY

Sustainable Interior Design

A really useful book dealing comprehensively and clearly with sustainability in interior design practice: an unwieldy subject with a million facets to try and get your head around before you even think about real life projects and unreceptive clients, with a huge risk of turning off or away before you start.

Chloe Bullock understands this, knows the business inside out and has a knack for unravelling the mess to make it manageable.

There are 11 sections covering familiar buzz words like biophilic design, circular economy and ethical business, in each case thoroughly debunked to explain what these overused headlines mean; from history, theory, concepts and statistics to practical application, using as-built projects to make the intangible real. Each section also introduces a who’s who in thinking, making and doing in the field, and concludes with extra links for further reading. 

Something I like about the book is the way it keeps returning to what can I do? While we understand there are enormous systems issues largely outside our control, incremental change remains both important and do-able. 

One example is a piece in the reuse section on alternative, modular, demountable kitchens. Part of every designer’s day job in one form or another and as fast as we design them they fall apart or are ripped out. An enigma in some ways as this part of our homes and workplaces is a big investment, takes a bashing, is often described as the heart of things and yet we treat it as a cheaply bought disposable product. A different approach to this one familiar element could make a big impact.

Spanish outfit Kitchens For Life use a frame as the base so a kitchen today can easily become storage for somewhere else tomorrow; and in the UK there are any number of high quality joinery manufacturers like Somer making kitchens that can be refinished or taken apart for reassembly pretty much anywhere. As usual scale and cost are the issues, and persuading clients to look sideways; still, we can and should start by thinking differently and researching options to change the dial.

A small book, loads of excellent research and insight and a great format for starting simple, building confidence and opening the door for wider understanding.

Sustainable Interior Design Chloe Bullock