Meet The Designers Creating Vegan Interiors
How does vegan design fit into a sustainable approach to interiors – and are non-vegans welcome?
As part of a general raised awareness around sustainability, more and more homeowners are keen to know the provenance of the products they furnish, decorate and build with, as well as how things have been made and what they contain.
In parallel, according to vegan charity Viva, the number of UK vegans quadrupled between 2014 and 2019. It also reports that, between 2019 and December 2021, the number of British young adults self-reporting as flexitarian doubled from 10% to 20%. While veganism may, according to recent reports, be plateauing, we’re still in a very different landscape to the one we were in pre-2014.
Put these two shifts in attitude together and you get vegan, or cruelty-free, interiors – a strand of design that, as you’ll see below, is growing in popularity. But what exactly is a vegan interior? Is it easy to achieve? More expensive? And are there small steps that any homeowner – vegan or not – can take to make choices that are kinder to both animals and the planet? These interior designers have the answers…
In parallel, according to vegan charity Viva, the number of UK vegans quadrupled between 2014 and 2019. It also reports that, between 2019 and December 2021, the number of British young adults self-reporting as flexitarian doubled from 10% to 20%. While veganism may, according to recent reports, be plateauing, we’re still in a very different landscape to the one we were in pre-2014.
Put these two shifts in attitude together and you get vegan, or cruelty-free, interiors – a strand of design that, as you’ll see below, is growing in popularity. But what exactly is a vegan interior? Is it easy to achieve? More expensive? And are there small steps that any homeowner – vegan or not – can take to make choices that are kinder to both animals and the planet? These interior designers have the answers…
As Jecks (pictured) explains, you’re also looking at often invisible components, such as glues containing rabbit skin and some paints, for example those containing casein, a milk-derived ingredient, as well as some lacquers, which can contain beetles. Vegan design also strives to exclude products that have been tested on animals.
However, it’s not always clear-cut. Some people may feel that a biodegradable, non-toxic product that was tested on animals historically, but isn’t any longer, could be OK to use. Others will be fine with pre-loved leather or other animal-derived materials.
“Vintage [pieces] and antiques may not have a story that aligns with being vegan,” Jecks says, “and I know some vegans don’t agree with me, but I think we have to be realistic about what is already on the planet, so choosing these can be better than them going to landfill.”
A vegan interior will generally be a blend of the homeowner’s preferences and their designer’s expertise and ethics, and some interiors will turn out more vegan than others. Talking of which…
However, it’s not always clear-cut. Some people may feel that a biodegradable, non-toxic product that was tested on animals historically, but isn’t any longer, could be OK to use. Others will be fine with pre-loved leather or other animal-derived materials.
“Vintage [pieces] and antiques may not have a story that aligns with being vegan,” Jecks says, “and I know some vegans don’t agree with me, but I think we have to be realistic about what is already on the planet, so choosing these can be better than them going to landfill.”
A vegan interior will generally be a blend of the homeowner’s preferences and their designer’s expertise and ethics, and some interiors will turn out more vegan than others. Talking of which…
Is vegan interior design just for vegans?
This is a question PETA award-winning interior designer and author Chloe Bullock (pictured) says she gets a lot. “No!” she says. “I really want people to know that. We want everyone to do it.”
Chloe runs a B Corp design business, Materialise Interiors, that specialises in sustainable design and – like Jecks – is a co-founder of Interior Design Declares, a petition movement whose signatories pledge to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies. She’s also written a book, Sustainable Interior Design, to be published by RIBA in April 2024.
“For years, many of us have been avoiding animal-tested products,” Chloe says, “and those people aren’t necessarily vegan.” She would like to see a similar approach when it comes to interiors.
Browse local interior designers on Houzz.
This is a question PETA award-winning interior designer and author Chloe Bullock (pictured) says she gets a lot. “No!” she says. “I really want people to know that. We want everyone to do it.”
Chloe runs a B Corp design business, Materialise Interiors, that specialises in sustainable design and – like Jecks – is a co-founder of Interior Design Declares, a petition movement whose signatories pledge to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies. She’s also written a book, Sustainable Interior Design, to be published by RIBA in April 2024.
“For years, many of us have been avoiding animal-tested products,” Chloe says, “and those people aren’t necessarily vegan.” She would like to see a similar approach when it comes to interiors.
Browse local interior designers on Houzz.
Why is vegan design important?
Chloe’s book includes a chapter on vegan design and says environmental sustainability, ethical production and animal welfare are tightly intertwined.
“Every time you find animals being treated poorly, you can be sure that people are, too, and that [those in charge] are avoiding their responsibilities towards the environment,” she says. “For example, I ask all the time, ‘Are these products FSC-certified?’ Because obviously deforestation is a huge concern – but not only from the point of view of the environment. It’s taking away habitation for wildlife and, if the timber is illegally logged, it usually means people are also not being looked after. It’s kind of a trinity of things.”
Of course, it’s also possible to source non-vegan products carefully. We’ve already touched on secondhand materials and, while Jecks won’t specify wool for her clients, if they want it, she will point them towards fairly traded, ethical wool.
Products made from recycled wool are worth exploring, too, if you want to avoid commercially sheared fleeces which, according to PETA investigations, can involve animal cruelty. Down and angora, too, may have been live harvested, so do some research before buying. “You have to be a bit of a detective and ask lots of questions,” Chloe says.
Chloe’s book includes a chapter on vegan design and says environmental sustainability, ethical production and animal welfare are tightly intertwined.
“Every time you find animals being treated poorly, you can be sure that people are, too, and that [those in charge] are avoiding their responsibilities towards the environment,” she says. “For example, I ask all the time, ‘Are these products FSC-certified?’ Because obviously deforestation is a huge concern – but not only from the point of view of the environment. It’s taking away habitation for wildlife and, if the timber is illegally logged, it usually means people are also not being looked after. It’s kind of a trinity of things.”
Of course, it’s also possible to source non-vegan products carefully. We’ve already touched on secondhand materials and, while Jecks won’t specify wool for her clients, if they want it, she will point them towards fairly traded, ethical wool.
Products made from recycled wool are worth exploring, too, if you want to avoid commercially sheared fleeces which, according to PETA investigations, can involve animal cruelty. Down and angora, too, may have been live harvested, so do some research before buying. “You have to be a bit of a detective and ask lots of questions,” Chloe says.
A vegan bedroom by DiMare Design in the US. Founder Deborah DiMare also runs courses through VeganDesign.Org, which helped Chloe and Jecks to get started in the field.
What got you into vegan design?
Back in 2017, Jecks got interested in veganism, having seen how it was growing in popularity around the world. She was vegetarian at the time (until her teenage daughter challenged her to go vegan for a week and she “never looked back”).
Jecks recalls wrestling with how to combine her ecofriendly stance with her interior design work. Then, by chance, she heard a podcast interview with American designer Deborah DiMare, who teaches courses in vegan interior design, which Jecks went on to take.
What got you into vegan design?
Back in 2017, Jecks got interested in veganism, having seen how it was growing in popularity around the world. She was vegetarian at the time (until her teenage daughter challenged her to go vegan for a week and she “never looked back”).
Jecks recalls wrestling with how to combine her ecofriendly stance with her interior design work. Then, by chance, she heard a podcast interview with American designer Deborah DiMare, who teaches courses in vegan interior design, which Jecks went on to take.
When explaining her ethical design backstory, Chloe says, “I’ve literally grown up with it. I live a mile away from the first shop that [founder of The Body Shop, the late] Anita Roddick set up and I was six when that shop opened. She’s been a hero since then.”
When she graduated, she wrote to Anita and ended up working for The Body Shop as a retail designer. “I can’t think how I could have got a better education in ethical business. It’s completely shaped my work.” More recently, she also took Deborah DiMare’s course.
When she graduated, she wrote to Anita and ended up working for The Body Shop as a retail designer. “I can’t think how I could have got a better education in ethical business. It’s completely shaped my work.” More recently, she also took Deborah DiMare’s course.
How much interest is there in vegan design?
“There’s definitely been a change,” Jecks says. “When I first started, there was no one but me and Chloe talking about it – and another designer, Helen [Winter, of Coral Interiors]. But I’ve spoken to other designers since who’ve been as pro-vegan. There’s now a vegan hotel room in London [at the Hilton Bankside] and a whole vegan hotel in Scotland [Saorsa 1875 in Pitlochry]. The conversation has grown.”
Jecks also references the rise in vegan leathers as a sign of growth and interest, including a range of furniture designed by Philippe Starck upholstered in a fabric, Apple Ten Lork, made from apple skins and cores, and furniture designer Tamasine Osher’s award-winning chair covered in Piñatex, a textile derived from pineapple leaf fibre.
“Food, wine, coffee – it seems every kind of waste is being turned into some kind of leather,” Jecks says. “Some of it is combined with plastic, which is not great from a sustainable angle, but there’s loads of innovation going on.” The point about plastic is a biggie, which we’ll come back to.
She also mentions PETA’s $1 Million Wool Challenge (open worldwide), which offers a windfall to the first entrant to develop a vegan wool material that’s visually, texturally and functionally equal or better than sheep’s wool and is adopted and sold by a major clothing brand.
“There’s so much going on to get us away from animal-derived products,” Chloe says.
“There’s definitely been a change,” Jecks says. “When I first started, there was no one but me and Chloe talking about it – and another designer, Helen [Winter, of Coral Interiors]. But I’ve spoken to other designers since who’ve been as pro-vegan. There’s now a vegan hotel room in London [at the Hilton Bankside] and a whole vegan hotel in Scotland [Saorsa 1875 in Pitlochry]. The conversation has grown.”
Jecks also references the rise in vegan leathers as a sign of growth and interest, including a range of furniture designed by Philippe Starck upholstered in a fabric, Apple Ten Lork, made from apple skins and cores, and furniture designer Tamasine Osher’s award-winning chair covered in Piñatex, a textile derived from pineapple leaf fibre.
“Food, wine, coffee – it seems every kind of waste is being turned into some kind of leather,” Jecks says. “Some of it is combined with plastic, which is not great from a sustainable angle, but there’s loads of innovation going on.” The point about plastic is a biggie, which we’ll come back to.
She also mentions PETA’s $1 Million Wool Challenge (open worldwide), which offers a windfall to the first entrant to develop a vegan wool material that’s visually, texturally and functionally equal or better than sheep’s wool and is adopted and sold by a major clothing brand.
“There’s so much going on to get us away from animal-derived products,” Chloe says.
But is vegan design more expensive?
Ethically produced materials, of course, often come at a premium price, with mass production tending to be cheaper. This is a significant downside, especially amid the current cost of living crisis.
“But I come from a circular economy angle as well as a vegan angle,” Chloe says. “So I will always try to reuse before looking at virgin materials and I think that counter-balances it.”
Ethically produced materials, of course, often come at a premium price, with mass production tending to be cheaper. This is a significant downside, especially amid the current cost of living crisis.
“But I come from a circular economy angle as well as a vegan angle,” Chloe says. “So I will always try to reuse before looking at virgin materials and I think that counter-balances it.”
Nostos, a Greek restaurant in Hove designed by Chloe using Oeko-Tex-certified felt-look upholstery fabric, vegan paint and various recycled materials. Photo by Jim Stephenson.
Sustainably speaking, how do you balance the use of vegan manmade materials with natural, animal-based materials?
One significant issue, already flagged, is that vegan materials are often made with non-biodegradable ingredients.
“Synthetic materials are prevalent,” Jecks agrees. “And, in a way, that’s an argument for animal products. But when people say leather, for example, is natural, you have to remember it’s a fabric that’s chemically treated to keep it supple.”
Indeed, the tanning process – treating animal skins to turn them into leather and stop them putrefying – often uses hazardous chemicals that can leach into the environment. “There are natural materials that are animal-based and natural materials that aren’t,” Jecks says.
Encouragingly, a new mycelium alternative to leather may not raise any of these issues. In research from institutions including Imperial College London, it’s argued that: “Unlike its traditional and synthetic counterparts, producing fungi-based leather uses fewer hazardous chemicals and releases less extra carbon into the atmosphere – and that the resulting fabric looks and feels like traditional leather in terms of durability and flexibility. It is also fully biodegradable when not combined with another material to make composite leather.”
Sustainably speaking, how do you balance the use of vegan manmade materials with natural, animal-based materials?
One significant issue, already flagged, is that vegan materials are often made with non-biodegradable ingredients.
“Synthetic materials are prevalent,” Jecks agrees. “And, in a way, that’s an argument for animal products. But when people say leather, for example, is natural, you have to remember it’s a fabric that’s chemically treated to keep it supple.”
Indeed, the tanning process – treating animal skins to turn them into leather and stop them putrefying – often uses hazardous chemicals that can leach into the environment. “There are natural materials that are animal-based and natural materials that aren’t,” Jecks says.
Encouragingly, a new mycelium alternative to leather may not raise any of these issues. In research from institutions including Imperial College London, it’s argued that: “Unlike its traditional and synthetic counterparts, producing fungi-based leather uses fewer hazardous chemicals and releases less extra carbon into the atmosphere – and that the resulting fabric looks and feels like traditional leather in terms of durability and flexibility. It is also fully biodegradable when not combined with another material to make composite leather.”
What do the leather and wool industries say?
#LeatherTruthfully is a campaign supported by designers who work with leather, including Bill Amberg and Anya Hindmarch. It states that: “Tanneries are required to comply with standards such as the EU REACH requirements for chemicals and most work with their customers on a much stricter restricted substances list. Many leather companies have additionally joined ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) and there’s a strong trend in the leather industry towards modern biochemical solutions to reduce overall chemical usage and eliminate chemicals from fossil fuel origins.”
Similarly, Woolmark, which owns the Woolmark logo, a quality assurance symbol, and is a global authority on merino wool, has its Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel campaign, promoting wool’s natural credentials over fossil-fuel-derived synthetics.
“Wool forms a part of the natural carbon cycle,” Woolmark states in the campaign. “By storing the carbon from carbon dioxide (CO2), wool prevents the gas from contributing to climate change for the time the garment is in use.”
There are independent bodies – Textile Exchange and Global Fashion Agenda, for example – that produce sustainability and ethical data on various different materials, which may be useful for making choices.
#LeatherTruthfully is a campaign supported by designers who work with leather, including Bill Amberg and Anya Hindmarch. It states that: “Tanneries are required to comply with standards such as the EU REACH requirements for chemicals and most work with their customers on a much stricter restricted substances list. Many leather companies have additionally joined ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) and there’s a strong trend in the leather industry towards modern biochemical solutions to reduce overall chemical usage and eliminate chemicals from fossil fuel origins.”
Similarly, Woolmark, which owns the Woolmark logo, a quality assurance symbol, and is a global authority on merino wool, has its Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel campaign, promoting wool’s natural credentials over fossil-fuel-derived synthetics.
“Wool forms a part of the natural carbon cycle,” Woolmark states in the campaign. “By storing the carbon from carbon dioxide (CO2), wool prevents the gas from contributing to climate change for the time the garment is in use.”
There are independent bodies – Textile Exchange and Global Fashion Agenda, for example – that produce sustainability and ethical data on various different materials, which may be useful for making choices.
What small steps can people take to make their homes kinder to animals and the environment?
Jecks and Chloe advise:
Jecks and Chloe advise:
- Think big: Go vegan for the bigger items if buying new.
- Be kind to yourself, too: Don’t give yourself a hard time if you’re gifted leather or still own something leather.
- Pick perfume with care: Musk is derived from animals, so go for an alternative scent for your candles.
- Rethink materials: There are lots to explore and constant innovation producing new options. But some old-school favourites of both designers include bamboo, (organic) cotton, flax and hemp, which can all be used in various applications. “Hemp is a wonderful carbon-absorbing fibre,” Chloe says. “It’s great as a wool alternative for insulation.”
- Favour vegan fillings: Naturally derived latex is a soft, sustainable, animal-free material for mattresses and sofas,” says Jecks, who also suggests exploring buckwheat over feathers or synthetic microfibre for pillows. “They are quite heavy and noisy,” she says, “but sleeping on one cured the headaches I always used to wake up with.” For duvets, Chloe likes organic cotton fibre instead of down-filled ones.
- Research before buying. “A lot of being vegan or sustainable is about not just going for what you’re used to,” Jecks says.
How can homeowners raise this with their designer and get them on board?
“I have a lot of respect for my industry and designers are very respectful of their clients and briefs,” Chloe says. “The client just needs to express [their feelings] early on.
“There’s definitely a general awareness of where animal products are and I believe designers will be able to help clients if they’re just told that’s a project goal,” she continues. “That’s what we do – we’re trained problem-solvers! And all we want to do is make our clients happy and enhance their lives through design.”
Tell us…
What kind of sustainable or ethical goals do you have for your renovation? Let us know in the Comments.
“I have a lot of respect for my industry and designers are very respectful of their clients and briefs,” Chloe says. “The client just needs to express [their feelings] early on.
“There’s definitely a general awareness of where animal products are and I believe designers will be able to help clients if they’re just told that’s a project goal,” she continues. “That’s what we do – we’re trained problem-solvers! And all we want to do is make our clients happy and enhance their lives through design.”
Tell us…
What kind of sustainable or ethical goals do you have for your renovation? Let us know in the Comments.
“A vegan interior is one that has an absence of animal fibres and animal products,” explains Jecks Stone, who is the founder and director of sustainable design practice Persona Abode, which offers VeganDesign.Org-certified services.
There are obvious things you’d imagine excluding – leather, skins, silk, bone, down and wool – but vegan interior design goes much further.