Sustainable building products can be some of the most durable, high-quality materials available to interior designers. Using environmentally-friendly products can enhance not just the sustainability of your work, but the overall quality. Many recycled and green building products are even more durable than conventional alternatives.
Before diving into your next design with the same materials you’ve always used, take a look at these 10 products made from recycled, reclaimed, or sustainable materials.
1. Durat Solid Surface
Image Source: Durat Solid Surface
Durat makes solid surface materials from recycled plastics, available in 200 different colors and patterns. Its products are also 100% recyclable, so the entire product life cycle can be viewed as environmentally friendly. There are a variety of different ways that designers use Durat’s recycled plastic products, from sinks to benches, wall panels, and other custom applications.
Want to try it out? You can request Durat samples and other countertop samples from Swatchbox (you can also download Durat Revit materials on BIMsmith).
2. Lapitec Sintered Stone
Image Source: Lapitec Sintered Stone
Lapitec’s sintered stone is an excellent choice for a green alternative to marble. This durable, recyclable material is made of 100% natural minerals and is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. It is resistant to scratches, chemicals, frost, heat and even UV rays. No matter where you put Lapitec pieces, they are built to endure and look beautiful for years.
Lapitec is a great option for various applications but is especially well-suited for luxury spaces. The sleek minimalist design of Lapitec’s sintered stone effortlessly fits into refined areas, such as modern minimalist bathrooms and kitchens. Various colors, textures and finishes are available to achieve just the right look and feel.
Lapitec samples are designed and produced in Italy and are available in select markets. Request Lapitec samples or view all countertop and exterior finishing samples on Swatchbox.
3. Kirei Acoustic Panels
Image Source: Kirei Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels don’t have to disrupt aesthetics or the environment. Kirei’s innovative, environmentally-friendly acoustic panels have been used by the likes of Google, ESPN and Adobe. Its range of acoustic products is made of numerous recycled and green materials, such as plastic and even reclaimed coconut shells.
Kirei’s acoustic panels allow designers to create sustainable, sound-controlled spaces, from offices to restaurants and even recording studios. Kirei offers an extensive range, from simple wall panels to abstract suspended panels and everything in between.
For architects or designers looking to see how Kirei acoustic designs can impact their projects, Kirei Revit files are available on BIMsmith.
4. Expanko Cork Flooring
Image Source: Expanko Resilient Flooring
You can use sustainable building products for your projects’ floors as well as the walls and countertops. Of course, wood is often one of the first materials that comes to mind when designers and clients think of flooring. However, virgin hardwood flooring is not the most environmentally friendly option. As an alternative, Expanko cork flooring can be an option that provides the look and feel of hardwood in a more sustainable material. Expanko has been used in notable projects around the world, including Harvard University’s library.
Expanko’s Prestige line of cork flooring is made of pre-consumer cork waste and contributes to LEED certification. In addition to its relatively affordable pricetag, Expanko is available in various colors and cut shapes and is well-suited to multiple spaces. It is also nontoxic and water-resistant, with a natural wood look.
5. reSAWN TIMBER Co. Reclaimed Wood
Image Source: reSAWN TIMBER Co. Reclaimed Wood
You can still use sustainable building products for clients or projects that prefer real wood. Reclaimed timber is a great choice for indoor and outdoor applications. reSAWN TIMBER Co. offers aesthetically attractive options in numerous colors and textures for flooring, wall cladding, ceilings, siding and roofing. It provides 11 different reclaimed woods, including oak, hemlock and barn siding.
reSAWN’s reclaimed wood is especially well-suited for rustic and Scandinavian design styles. It goes well with minimalist spaces, especially those close to the outdoors. Designers have also used reSAWN’s products in elegant New York City townhomes, so the range of applications is extensive.
6. Mondo Recyclable Rubber Flooring
Image Source: Mondo Recyclable Rubber Flooring
Recyclable rubber flooring is the perfect choice to give your client a sleek, clean finish in a commercial or professional space. Mondo’s extensive range of rubber flooring is 100% recyclable and contributes to LEED certification, as well as numerous other green building sustainability certifications. Its color palette includes hundreds of unique shades, textures, grains and patterns.
Rubber floors can certainly be a superior option for certain applications. Mondo’s products are easy to clean and highly durable, making them perfect for spaces like hospitals, schools, offices, public spaces, retail and transportation.
7. Graypants Lighting
Image Source: Graypants Lighting
Lighting is an important part of sustainable interior design, and it’s about more than just LED lightbulbs. You can elevate your client’s space by choosing options that complement your green building products. One of the best recycled lighting products available is Graypants Lighting’s Scraplights fixtures. It has numerous designs available, all made by hand from recycled cardboard.
One of the most appealing aspects of Graypants Lighting: onlookers would be hardpressed to know that these lights are actually made from cardboard. Well-designed and stylish, the fixtures work in various spaces, from cozy living rooms to elegant lobbies and modern retail.
8. Stickbulb Lighting
Image Source: Stickbulb Lighting
Graypants Lighting is not the only sustainable lighting fixture brand on the market. Stickbulb offers uniquely shaped fixtures made from recyclable, reclaimed materials that are locally manufactured near Stickbulb’s New York City office. Its unique, modern offerings include wall sconces, ceiling fixtures, floor lamps, and table lamps in sleek, minimalist designs.
Stickbulb’s sustainable lighting can be a functional design piece that works to create a sleek, modern space. Try Heart Pine or Water Tower Redwood as a start with materials made of reclaimed wood.
9. BioShield Natural Clay Paint
Image Source: BioShield Natural Clay Paint
Interior designers know the importance of the perfect paint color for completing any space. Paint can be a sustainable building product, as well. BioShield’s natural clay paint is a fantastic choice, perfect for getting just the right shade while also earning sustainability certifications. Paints made from clay are often viewed as better for the environment.
Clay paint lacks some of the chemicals and toxins found in more traditional paints and coatings. It also is branded as more “breathable” since it helps maintain interior air quality due to the natural moisture-absorbing abilities of clay. BioShield offers a wide array of color palettes, themes and design styles.
10. Havelock Wool Insulation
Image Source: Havelock Wool Insulation
Sustainable building goes beyond the spaces we can see to include the entire building. Havelock’s natural wool insulation is a great sustainable building product that is healthier and safer for people and the planet. It lacks some of the dangerous chemicals and air pollutants that alternative insulation materials can contain – enough to touch confidently with bare hands.
Havelock’s wool insulation can contribute to indoor air quality, help manage moisture in building envelopes, and even absorb sound.
Investing in Green Building Products
Green building has graduated beyond trend status. Sustainable products are vital to evolving the design and construction industries to keep pace with modern technology, environmental regulations, and client expectations. The increasing availability of sustainable and recycled products mark an important reality that eco-friendly products are no longer alternatives — they are often the best choice available, delivering style, efficiency, durability and healthy living.
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Rose Morrison
Swatchbox is a premier sample fulfillment service that connects design professionals with building product manufacturers. With proprietary software designed by insiders of the design community, Swatchbox helps manufacturers improve product sales and brand affinity by delivering material samples to the design community with speed, intelligence, and style. Learn more and join Swatchbox at www.swatchbox.com.
