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Thursday 6 November 2014

How Sustainable is Your Space?


Design, and the implementation of design, should also be sustainable. This is the foundation Petrichor Studio in Port Elizabeth is built on. Sustainable design endeavours to use resources which are 100% renewable and/or reusable; it has a minimal impact on the environment, and it also unites people with natural environments.



All waste, such as discarded items, has an impact on the environment, no matter how eco-friendly. Therefore, our waste can be significantly reduced by using sustainable design principles, and changing the way activities are conducted. It doesn’t mean doing without, but rather doing it differently. For example, before you send that old, but well made couch to landfill, consider a different approach – recycle it and have it reupholstered instead.



These principles can and should be applied to all aspects of design, including the design of gardens and interiors. Good design of, and within, these spaces should always enhance the lives of those who dwell within them, be they people or wildlife. This can only really be achieved when a space is well designed, and the values of sustainable design are adhered to.



Michelle Hatherly of Petrichor Studio is especially experienced in sustainable design and implementation of sustainable design for gardens and interiors, using materials which are sustainable, eco-friendly and cost-effective. A well planned space, fit for its purpose, will be easier to maintain and hence will use fewer resources in doing so.



Many designers waste valuable resources by discarding perfectly good items instead of renovating them. This can often be the case when clients (and designers) are focused solely on impressing other people, by constantly replacing decor, furnishings and gardens unnecessarily - all at great cost financially, and to the earth’s dwindling resources. They misguidedly subscribe to the ‘all new’ philosophy when designing or renovating spaces, filling them with fashionable, characterless objects and furniture, which date quickly. All of us need to take more responsibility in using fewer resources in our daily lives.





Beautiful, well designed spaces can be enhanced by using items which have a history. Something which has been given a new life, often at a fraction of the cost of a new item, will add more value to a space; especially if it was a well-designed, well-made piece to begin with.




The primary goal of Petrichor Studio, therefore, is to help those who want great design, but also care about saving money, resources and our planet. Petrichor Studio is all about creating and encouraging the sustainable design and decoration of gardens and interiors - services which are unique in Port Elizabeth.



All blog Images: Copyright Michelle Hatherly, Petrichor Studio.


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