The resurgence of craftsmanship in design, and its impact on sustainability
In recent years the demand for mass-produced furniture reached its peak, providing consumers with cheap, uniform ideas for decorating and equipping their homes. While much of this furniture was as low in quality as it was price, the ease with which homeowners could furnish their rooms became very popular, and few chose to push the boundaries of interior design.
However, the handcrafted furniture industry is now fighting back in earnest, and the interior design sector is seeing a resurgence in the popularity of these handmade, and often bespoke, items. Understandably, this is doing wonders for sustainable design and living, and introducing homeowners to a wholly new, and responsible, way of decorating and furnishing their homes.
The resurgence of fine craftsmanship
In recent years the demand for uniformly produced, cheap furniture has dwindled, as more and more consumers search for thoughtfully-created, unique pieces for their homes. This resurgence not only has the benefit of bringing beauty and character into each room of the home, but also guarantees furniture that is built to last; homeowners are now far more excited by sturdy, timeless pieces, than those that require frequent repair or replacement. This renaissance has been helped, in part, by the growth of the internet as a research tool, allowing homeowners to take inspiration directly from interior designers and the spaces they create; the World Wide Web is a fantastic tool for encouraging consumers to think more carefully about sustainable living.
This renewed interest in handcrafted furnishings is really helping to reinforce the idea of sustainability and environmentally-friendly interior design, and offers consumers the chance to responsibly furnish and decorate their homes with gorgeous, carefully-crafted pieces. As well as lasting much longer than their flat-pack predecessors, handcrafted furniture also tends to create far fewer waste materials, as more thought has gone into its design and creation; it is wholly better for the environment, and much more popular for this.
Despite the popularity of mass-produced furnishings, there have always been brands such as Ercol furniture that is loved by conscientious homeowners. These popular designers are now also experiencing a renaissance, as more and more customers opt for their reliability and beauty over cheap, unsustainable, furnishings.
Hot trends for sustainable living
As the resurgence of fine craftsmanship works its magic on environmentally-friendly interior design, so too has there been an increase in the use of sustainable materials in furnishings and fixtures. Designers, and homeowners, are now more aware than ever of where materials come from, and are eager to source items as responsibly as possible. They are also keen to choose features that will add texture, depth, and character to homes. This consideration for materials also allows homeowners and designers to explore their imaginations when decorating, thus creating unique and characterful homes with very little trouble; indeed, many retailers are proud to carry sustainably sourced items.
There has also been an increase in the popularity of vintage furniture and upcycling, the art of creating something new from secondhand and recycled items. This trend allows homeowners to breathe new life into previously discarded items, and to etch personality into their homes in a way they may not have been able to do previously. This trend of “old as new” is going a long way to reinventing the interior design sector, as well as bringing further platforms of sustainability into homes everywhere.
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