New Year is always a time for resolutions, a perfect time to introduce new habits into our life. So how about trying to move towards more sustainable way of living this year?
We can see many of beauty and fashion brands that have gone sustainable in terms of their packaging and what they are made of. When it comes to sustainable home décor, it is unfortunately still not such a popular trend, although The US are doing a great job introducing more and more eco-friendly homeware brands into their market.
However we all need to remember that ´sustainable´ means not only what the product is made of but also how it was made and DELIVERED to our door. Ordering a lovely handmade ceramic pot from a small family business in Louisiana and have it delivered to our home in Denmark doesn´t make it sustainable nor eco-friendly any more. If it creates so much air pollution during its shipping, it no longer matters how the ceramic pot was made or of what material. Before we start swapping our typical home décor to a sustainable one and turning our living method into more ethical and eco-friendly, we need to make sure we cause more help to the environment than damage.
To shop locally was always a trend. No matter if it´s food, fashion, beauty or homeware. And when we add sustainable materials and ethical way of making goods into our local shopping we can then, and only then, say we help the environment and we live consciously.
This is why, to make it all easier for your new (or ongoing) environmental-friendly journey of sustainable home décor shopping, we have selected European stores to which our planet matters.
MAiK
Established in 2016, Maik produces sustainable homeware in the UK and delivers them all over the island as well as in Europe. The bold patterns and fresh colours are considered to be their biggest signature, but we think they offer much more than a cool design look. The company has changed their packaging from branded boxes to a recyclable tissue paper after conducting a survey which showed that their customers throw away the box immediately after unboxing their purchase. The tape they use to secure the packaging is also made of paper. The Maik products are designed and made in a family run factory with all the materials sustainably sourced.
One of our favourite products of this brand are very colourful placemats made of eucalyptus board with a non-slip cork bottom. They are hard wearing, easy to clean and stain resistant as well.
Agnes London
Founded by a Fashion Graduate Sophie, Agnes London started its journey by using leftover fabric from Sophie´s fashion projects. The idea behind the brand is to limit the use of unnecessary plastic and to go towards plastic-free solutions for everyday use. All the products are made by Sophie or her partner and can be delivered within the UK and Europe.
Our favourite sustainable home décor of Agnes London are their handmade cutlery pouches made of fabric scraps.
Firera
Originally established in Estonia in 2016, Firera is a family business of sustainable home décor inspired by the stunning Estonian countryside and living on a farm. Maria and her family specialise in products made of organic linen which include tea towels, blankets, napkins, bath towels, table clothes and many more. Please take a look at their full collection of stunning pure linen goods – we are sure you will fall in love with it as much as we did.
Konk
Konk is a design studio and workshop producing bespoke furniture for commercial and residential projects. The brand stands for making their products for life: solid, hardwearing and aging with a character. They use only FSC approved materials and most importantly, for every sale they make, a new tree is planted by One Tree Planted organization. A team of young and enthusiastic makers in the UK took care not only of the sustainable making process but also about what happens next: they provide delivery of their furniture into your house with assembly included. We know from experience that not many brands are offering this service when it comes to furniture delivery. Well done to Konk!
Linen & Stripes
A wife and a husband from Liverpool are behind Linen & Stripes brand and are the makers of all the eco-friendly cushion covers available on their online shop. Made of organic European linen with a mix of vegan-friendly faux leather, their cushion covers add a modern and funky look to any interior. A sustainable home décor element with a pop of colour.
Aerende
To be pronounced air-ren-day which takes its origins from an old English word for message and care. Aerende provides handmade sustainable home décor produced in the UK by people facing social challenges. It´s a brand with a beautiful story behind advertising ethical homeware which will add to your home interior but most importantly to the world beyond your door. They support ethical business practice, traditional craftsmanship and environmentally friendly materials. Take a look at their amazing handmade product rage and don´t forget to read more about the makers of Aerende.
This is just a fraction of all the sustainable home décor brands available in Europe. We will continue the environmental journey in the next post. See you there!
