WASTE NOT WANT NOT :THE ULTIMATE STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE INTERIORS

As human beings we are the Guardians of our home planet but our rampant consumerism has catastrophic consequences. Can we have both a beautiful home and clear consciences? 

We live in such a wasteful and throw away society and it would seem that we would prefer to throw things away rather than fix them. You don’t have to turn the clock back many years to find a time when most houses had a sewing machine (and people even knew how to use them). In recent years and probably due to television programmes like “The Great Sewing Bee” there seems to be a needlework revival, which in my opinion is fantastic!  Hallelujah for the sewing machine:a vital weapon against the evil menace otherwise known as “The Landfill”.

And next we come to the humble shed. Do you remember those glorious creosote fragranced emporiums full of fixing implements? The shed was a thing of wonder, where the worn out and broken would disappear and re-emerge with a new lease of life. A basic set of tools and a willingness to repair things makes such a huge impact on how much we simply throw away, or not. In my opinion we all need a shed or a friend who is willing to share. Share a shed, there’s an idea. You could fix things in there or just drink tea, eat biscuits and moan about your spouses. Choice is yours.

Up-cycle sounds such a modern turn of phrase but you don’t need to look back very far and you will find that this was just the norm for previous generations. Items were repaired and repurposed and as a consequence there was simply less waste and less need for freight. In addition to the obvious benefits of reducing waste, people both enhanced and learnt skills. Add to this the satisfaction of completing a successful project and the idea of constantly filling skips seems like a really bad idea.

The internet is a fantastic resource for learning new skills and with a few taps to your keyboard you will find a plethora of information and step by step instructions. If you haven’t got the tools, before you buy them perhaps see if you can borrow them. A friend or neighbour may have exactly what you need lurking in a dark corner of their garage. Get fixing and do your bit to reduce waste. This is my first tip for sustainable interiors.

Keep tuned in because this is just the start. I will be bringing regular eco focused  interior design tips. I’m going to be looking at British, ecological and sustainable design. Let’s do this!