Stylish sustainable design to last a lifetime

Tim Gosling used to watch his clients’ eyes glaze over when he talked about furniture that would last for centuries. The London-based interior and furniture designer would extol the virtue of pieces built to survive 100 or 200 years, only to be met with polite indifference. Not any more. “Now people are definitely looking for things that have longevity in their structure, that are more substantial, that they could pass on,” he says.

While monitoring the carbon footprint has become the baseline for sustainable design, longevity is moving to the forefront of environmental thinking. The principle is simple: to eliminate waste, choose durable, adaptable materials and timeless schemes that resist the tyranny of trends. It’s about fine craftsmanship, intentional design and creating pieces that can be repaired, adapted and cherished for generations.

Claire German, CEO of Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour in west London, has watched this awareness grow among both the centre’s creatives and their clients. “We are all far more conscious of the environmental impact of what we consume,” she says. “Designing for longevity responds to concerns about sustainability, waste and overconsumption, but it also reflects a broader cultural shift. People want to invest in pieces and spaces that have meaning, heritage and staying power.

“It’s not just an environmental consideration – it’s an economic and emotional one too.”

Though this approach makes sense on many levels, it raises an important question: if we’re designing for decades rather than seasons, do we sacrifice originality and flair for safe schemes that are more likely to last? Not according to Christina Gregoriou, partner at Michaelis Boyd, a British architectural practice that has always been guided by long-term thinking. “A ‘timeless’ scheme doesn’t preclude personality,” she argues. “In fact, it often enhances it. ‘Timeless’ doesn’t always need to come down to the visual and tactile materials. It can also relate to the flow, experience and use of the space – and that is unique to each user. We enjoy introducing a clear protagonist within a project, whether it’s in the form of the building or the way you frame a view, all the way down to a statement colour or a distinctive material.”

Gosling acknowledges that some design choices are subconsciously driven by trends, and that isn’t always a bad thing. Wall colour, for example, is something that can be updated less wastefully than furnishings. But he will steer clients away from bigger trend-based decisions: pale woods, for example, or low-slung sofas. “It’s important to know that dark woods such as walnut get lighter over time, while light woods get darker,” he explains. “I can bleach a ripple sycamore for a fashionably pale scheme, but it won’t naturally stay in that paler palette.”

And those floor-grazing sofas? “Clients want a much more relaxed way of living, with less formality, but the sofas sometimes get too low,” Gosling says. “People struggle to get on and off them.”

He recommends keeping the relaxed comfort factor, but raising things a little so the sofa is still user-friendly down the line. 

When designing for the long term, material selection is paramount. “Prioritise quality over quantity,” Gregoriou advises. “Invest in high-quality, hardwearing materials, particularly in high-traffic areas, and use accessories to create warmth and character. Interiors should feel lived-in – materials that develop a patina over time are a testament to how well a space is used and loved.” This is an approach that celebrates age: a leather sofa that softens and burnishes, oak floors that deepen in tone, brass fittings that develop a characterful patina. 

How does longevity square with an industry built on an appetite for newness? German believes that it’s not a threat, but an evolution. “Longevity doesn’t mean less creativity or fewer businesses – it means better ones,” she says. “Thriving design businesses today are focusing on quality, innovation and long-term value rather than volume. Designing fewer, better things encourages investment, repair, reuse and attachment, all of which support a more sustainable industry.”

We are already seeing a number of life-prolonging evolutions. Furniture brands are expanding their offerings to include aftercare and repair services. 

Designers, meanwhile, are forging deeper, longer-lasting relationships with clients, who return not for complete overhauls, but for thoughtful updates. Embracing longevity means moving away from the disposable mindset that has dominated interior design for decades and towards something more considered, more meaningful and ultimately more sustainable – and that requires us to think differently about what we make and buy. 

dcch.co.uk