Style with A CONSCIENCE
Sustainability and care for the environment are watchwords for today and the furnishings we choose for our homes are part of this story. Some furniture and fabric companies are long-time members of the sustainable movement, others have recently joined. Their aim is to source raw materials with a fully accountable back story.
AGEING BEAUTIFULLY
Antique and vintage pieces are emerging as significant flag-wavers for the movement. They salute the enduring value of things well-made. Buying at auction and seeking treasures in reclamation yards is an open secret, increasingly shared. Irene Gunter is one interior designer who sources antiques to add panache to her contemporary interiors, and Henriette von Stockausen is another designer who keeps an eye on auction sites and buys antique Howard sofas whenever she finds them. “They were so well made,” she declares. “All they need are new covers.”
That naturally leads to asking if new furniture can be made to the same standards as in the past. It was in the mind of interior designer Tara Craig when looking to commission upholstered seating and headboards for her Ensemblier collection. “I was conscious of the demise of craftsmanship and wanted my pieces made by workshops employing apprentices to learn from master upholsterers all the
