The word ‘sustainable’ going back fifteen, twenty years ago was considered a bit of token buzz word reserved only for things like biodegradable bamboo plates. It wasn’t a mainstream concept yet, as we grappled with the dawn of the age of curb side recycling and the not-so-sudden realisation that climate change was real and – oh, we should probably try and do something about it.
Today, sustainability goes beyond just a concept, although really in its early stages as far as our industry is concerned, many companies and designers are bringing it into the conversation at the beginning of the design process. It’s no longer just about producing a product with eco-friendly materials, but understanding how the resulting waste products can be somehow reused or up-cycled into something else to reduce its impact on the environment.
The Piknik portable table lamp
One of the biggest trends to come out of the interior design industry in the past year has been natural textiles and green living, moving towards artisanal craft and raw materials. We’re seeing design made in collaboration with smaller communities, in turn sustaining traditional skills and keeping local industry alive. The LZF family works in a similar way, producing everything from design to the final lamp on site at their workshop, using FSC certified veneer and employing local craftsmen to make each piece by hand. The portable PIKNIK lamp, the result of collaboration between young designers is an example of sustainable design made with a tubular sheet of veneer and a light with an eight hour rechargeable battery.
The Swirl pendant lamp
It’s never going to happen overnight, but I’d like to think that this will become part of our mindset for the way we live our lives as we move into the future. Always questioning where a certain product comes from, has it been made sustainably and ultimately – do we need it?
“Design is the human capacity to shape and make our environment in ways that satisfy our needs and give meaning to our lives.” – British writer and design lecturer John Heskett.
Our Raindrop pendant lamps
Written by Tiffany Grant-Riley
Tiffany Grant-Riley is the founder and writer of Curate & Display – a home and lifestyle blog where good independent design is at its heart. An interior stylist by trade, she finds pleasure in collecting house plants, photography, motherhood and being a minimalist. We are proud to welcome her to the LZF writing team as a guest blogger and are excited for the perspective she will bring to the LZF Blog.
