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Sourcing responsibly made textiles for the home is about much more than just aesthetics. It is about creating interiors that are healthy – for people and the planet. At the Future Fabrics Expo (held annually in London in June), we are trying to prove this is possible by showcasing over 10,000 materials from over 250 suppliers. These are innovative fabrics that are not only made with a lower environmental impact, but also offer real solutions for those wanting to make more conscious choices.
Before beginning a project – and definitely before making any purchases – I recommend decluttering and seeing whether any existing items can be updated. Could the sofa be brought back to life by throwing a beautiful blanket over it? Is it possible to repurpose a fabric? Could a local seamstress turn your grandmother’s fur coat or an old dress into a cushion? This is an opportunity to be creative.
Sourcing end-of-roll fabrics can be a good option for small quantities; they are often more budget friendly, too. Regular House & Garden readers will know that Haines is a great resource. Typing ‘deadstock fabric’ or ‘remnant fabric’ into a search engine should bring up other helpful results.
It would be ideal if the message were simply to avoid nasty chemicals and synthetics. But a more nuanced outlook is needed. For instance, conventionally grown cotton is a water-intensive crop (mostly irrigated) that relies heavily on pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. Unless it is organic or regeneratively farmed, cotton is not a sustainable choice from an environmental perspective.
Fortunately, better options are on the rise. Organic textiles are more widely available in homeware ranges. John Lewis and Piglet in Bed have good options, and Rêve En Vert sells lots of smaller labels. Look for Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification, which also applies to silk. Other useful certifications are Oeko-Tex, Bluesign, Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Organic Content Standard (OCS) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
MAY WE SUGGEST: The House & Garden guide to sustainable living
Nylon, polyester and polyamide are plastics made using fossil fuels. They are also a source of microplastics (pieces of plastic less than 5mm long). These are released into the air and soil when they end up in landfill, or into water when synthetic fabrics are laundered (though, admittedly, this is more of a problem for clothes than furnishing fabrics). Microplastics have been found in parts of the world once considered pristine, including Antarctica and the Arctic. More troublingly, according to the report Do Clothes Make Us Sick?, by the Plastic Soup Foundation, it has been shown that inhaled microfibres can reach various parts of the human body, including the liver, heart and brain – and even foetuses.
Tencel, which is made from responsibly sourced wood pulp using a relatively benign chemical process, is an acceptable alternative – just make sure it has not been blended with synthetic materials. It is also worth keeping an eye out for new materials made from agricultural waste, algae and mycelium (the root systems of fungi), with robust sustainability credentials, such as the ‘Reishi’ range from Mycoworks.
These are good, easy-to-follow rules, but ultimately, buying responsibly is about being curious. All fabric companies, large and small, should have a sustainability policy. (Few can compare to the efforts of House of Hackney, which is an incredibly inspiring brand and a worthy winner of House & Garden’s Responsible Design Award in 2024.) This should state where the material is from, as well as how and where it has been manufactured.
Here are some questions to ask while sourcing natural fabrics. Has it been farmed responsibly using organically or regeneratively nature-friendly practices? Is it dyed and finished with minimal chemicals that are not hazardous? What is its social impact? Does it support the farming community or social cooperatives? If the answer is no, then a purchase likely means supporting large-scale, monocultured, intensively farmed operations – and it is best avoided. Be mindful of greenwashing, do your research and check the company’s credentials online to find out more about certification, and so on, before making a decision.
There is a lot of discussion about fast fashion, but fast interiors are just as big a problem. And as with clothing, the textiles that are produced and used are a significant part of this. Decorating without environmental considerations and social impact is the easier option, but as with so many things in life, the easier option is rarely the right one.
