COP 27 this! The latest on the ID / sustainability love affair

King Charles is ‘champing at the bit’ to go. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak is trying to squeeze it into his busy schedule. This can only mean one thing – COP 27 is imminent. The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference is running from this Sunday 6 November, and will welcome many a name-droppable guest right through until the 18th. 

But this isn’t about just another annual get together to bring our planet’s climate crisis into the headlines again – it’s a symbol of the efforts of all industries to tackle the beast. And Interior Design is marching proudly in the lead. Customers want it, businesses want it, and quite frankly sustainability is hot. Sustainability is the latest love affair that is reaching the hearts of the nation.

So, in honour of COP 27, we’re looking at some of the most thoughtful and planet-friendly design projects and trends. 

This inevitably led us to the 2022 BIID Interior Design Awards, which we were delighted to see included the Anna Whitehead Award for Sustainability. The winner was Pfeiffer Design for their ingenious work on the Design Studio Chapel Barn. 

Chapel Barn was a tricky project – the brief was for a ‘a brand-new purpose-built design studio,’ not only situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but also lying adjacent to pre-existing agricultural buildings. This meant that the interior demanded a ‘contemporary and completely open-plan design, with regularly-changing finishes and displays to keep the studio feeling fresh and current.’ 

What won the judges over was the ‘thoughtful use of materials and great attention to detail’, creating a space ‘full of warmth and personality.’ Pfeiffer Design pushed the boundaries by contrasting the exposed steel frame with bespoke, vintage and off-the-peg items. The result is unique and contemporary, while remaining loyal to the agricultural setting. 

Pfeiffer’s innovation is symptomatic of the prevailing trend for vintage and natural products, which are blending in with the current passion for biophilia. 

This has led to a recent and shocking development – yes, it’s really happening – Organoid Natural Surfaces. Come on! If it doesn’t have a name that needs translating, it’s not even worth thinking about. 

To put you out of your misery, Organoid Natural Surfaces are panels for walls created from organic raw materials such as moss and alpine hay, all sourced regionally whenever possible. Check out these rose petals used to decorate a hotel in the heart of Ireland. We’ve got to admit, it looks incredibly cool. 

It’s exactly this type of innovation that’s stretching the boundaries of the passion for sustainable fashion. Natural products look great with vintage furniture and crafts. This in turn brings business to local craftsmen, antiques fairs, flea markets, auctions and charity shops, as well as making the recycling o quality and natural goods and products a permanent part of our lives. 

In other words, ID and COP 27 are working in tandem for a solution to our planet’s problems. And that can only make us feel great about what we’re achieving.