Over the past few decades, sustainability has become an increasingly important design consideration. Heightened awareness about the environment has encouraged designers and architects alike to source products that are friendly, release the least amount of CO2 emissions possible, and ultimately help support our planet.
Hopefully, the availability of green products will inspire you to introduce an eco-friendly switch to your design project. Here’s a look at three of the many leading sustainable Canadian products:
Sustainable Surface
The Eco Floor Store opened their British Columbia-based showroom in 2011 and offer sustainable floors and surfaces options that include hundreds of specially-selected, environment-friendly products, including natural slate and sandstone veneer sheets, as well as wood flooring.
The natural stone veneers are extremely versatile and can be used on walls, pillars, backsplashes and fireplaces. The sheets come in various sizes and are only 2mm thick. They are adhered with an eco-friendly Spray-Lock adhesive. They have many colour and texture options, but the best part is that this product is easy to install thanks to its flexible fibreglass backing.
FSC Certified Wood Furniture
B.C. based Style Garage has been designing and building modern furniture since 2000. Their signature collection is made in Canada, and they’re committed to sourcing sustainable materials wherever possible. Their FSC-approved wood has only natural oil-rubbed finishes, giving a low-gloss finish that’s currently trending. They also have the option of water based clear-coats and stains, which are significantly more environmentally friendly than their oil-based predecessors. In the finishing process, no chemical waste is released in the air.
Milk Paint
The only milk paint manufacturer in Canada, Homestead House paints are completely biodegradable and contain zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), a chemical that can be harmful to both people and the environment. The paint comes in a variety of colours and can be custom tinted to match any colour. Made of milk, limestone and clay, milk paint pigments derive from all-natural ingredients.
It works great for an antique, chipped finish on furniture, or can easily be applied in a regular finish for furniture or walls by mixing in a bonding agent. This type of paint can also adhere to both oil and water based paints, and can be made into a coloured stain or wash by adding more water. Zero VOC paints now cover just as well as paints with VOC.
Thanks to ever-progressing design, an eco-friendly product switch not only improves the state of our earth and our health, but can look beautiful, too.
