Sustainable Interior Design

Sustainability is not a trend at Cassandra Chessum Interior Design (CCID). It is integral to everything we do and is a way of working that shapes every material we specify, every supplier we choose and every piece of furniture we source. A sustainable interior does not have to compromise on style. Done well, it looks better, lasts longer and often costs less than a conventionally designed space.

We work with clients who want their homes and businesses to reflect their values, without sacrificing the quality CCID is known for. This might mean reupholstering a family heirloom rather than replacing it, specifying a low carbon range of paints, or sourcing furniture from British makers instead of imported flat-pack alternatives.

What we offer

• Biophilic design: Bringing natural light, planting and organic materials into a space to support health and wellbeing.
• Circular design: Specifying furniture and fittings that can be reused, repaired or recycled at the end of their life.
• Low carbon design: Prioritising low carbon and energy-efficient lighting and heating options that will reduce a property’s running costs over time.
• Ethical design: Working with suppliers who are committed to fair labour practices, as well as British and local craftsmanship.
• Adaptive reuse design: Restoring and repurposing existing buildings, joinery and furniture rather than starting from scratch.
• Health and wellbeing design: Focusing on finishes and selecting non-toxic materials, paints and adhesives that protect indoor air quality.
• Water-sensitive design: Specifying water-efficient fixtures and finishes suited to conserving water in a changing climate.

How we work

Every CCID project starts with a conversation about what sustainability means for that particular client. For some, it is about reducing embodied carbon in a new build. For others, it is restoring a period property using materials that respect its age, or simply making sure a renovation does not send perfectly good furniture to landfill.

Most of the products we recommend and source are already sustainable by design. Fabrics are typically natural, sometimes certified organic, fibres or recycled yarns that are fully recyclable at the end of their life. Paints are often water-based, vegan and solvent free, with low VOC levels, and some actively reduce carbon dioxide and eliminate toxins during application.

Reclaimed goods from architectural salvage yards feature regularly and we enjoy up-cycling existing pieces to give them a second life rather than replacing them. We are also committed to ethical trade. We check, where relevant, that suppliers have signed up to leading environmental and social certification schemes, and we review suppliers’ own sustainability and responsibility policies before we work with them.

Sustainable design still has to work as a business decision. A well specified, durable material, appliance or piece of furniture often costs less to replace and maintain over ten years than a cheaper alternative bought twice. We are happy to talk clients through the comparison project by project and product by product, as well as discussing the return on investment on different products.

We are very proud of our proven track record and excellent experience in this area. One notable project is a biophilic house in South Oxfordshire, which featured on Grand Designs. As well as benefiting from green energy solutions, such as solar panels, the passive house also has high-tech bio-dynamic lighting and interior green living walls, designed to promote health and well-being.

At CCID, we strongly believe that sustainability is not just for the few. This is why we have integrated sustainability throughout, so it is a recurring theme in all the projects we undertake.