Sussex Exclusive Magazine. Issue 7

How to create
sustainable living
at home
Shaun Penticost from Holmewood Interiors explains how
they’re working hard to create more sustainable homes
Sustainable living and doing what
we can to reduce the unnecessary
depletion of the world’s
natural resources, is playing an
increasingly important part in
the way we all live. I firmly believe that
looking after our customers, staff, and
our precious planet to the very best of
our abilities, are all equally important.
Therefore, for Holmewood Interiors,
the responsible sourcing of sustainable
materials, eco-friendly technology
and our reuse, recycle and reduce waste
initiatives, play an integral part in how our
business operates.
What sustainable living
actually means
Did you know that for a room or home to
be considered sustainable, the design must
respect earth’s natural resources and optimise
energy and water use too? In addition, the
durability of low-impact, high performance
and high-quality materials that have to be
manufactured, shipped and installed in an
efficient way, must also be assured.
So our pride in our work means that we
only use the best materials, from the UK’s
best manufacturers, wherever possible.
And we take care to source eco-friendly,
sustainable material and technology
options, wherever possible. By doing this,
we help our customers to be proud of their
stylish and newly created rooms, in the
knowledge that they are helping to preserve
the earth’s resources and reduce their
energy consumption too.
Using sustainable materials
For kitchens, bedrooms and home offices,
the predominant natural material is
wood. This comes in many forms starting
with solid wooden boards and laminate
worktops through to the composite boards
that are used in many cabinet shells. We
work closely with our manufacturers
to supply products sourced from FSC®
and PEFC accredited forests. These have
the highest environmental and wildlife
standards, and guarantee that all cut trees
are replaced. With some suppliers, up to
40% of the wood used in the chipboard
cabinets is recycled material.
Extending this to appliances, we look at
the impact the product’s materials have
on the environment, as well as the energy
saving benefits. Steel has a substantial
carbon footprint and is a product of
the environmentally damaging iron ore
mining. As a result, many manufacturers
are now trying to use more recyclable
materials and components that include
aluminium, glass and brass if at all possible.
However, steel is 100% recyclable and easy
to recycle too.
Smart technology to cut waste
and energy costs
Fridges and freezers account for up to
15% of a household’s energy usage.
We always look to recommend energyefficiency,
combined with good ecofriendly
credentials, but how does this
actually translate to sustainability in
your home?
Smart technology means that many
appliances have a power saving mode.
Some fridges and freezers include sensors
that monitor when they are not opened
and reduce the cooling systems running
times accordingly. One smart fridge
with an internal camera allows you to
check directly from the supermarket
to see what you have, thus avoiding
the purchase of unnecessary items and
reduced food waste too.
Smart ovens also come with a wide range
of energy saving controls. One of our
favourites is a built-in baking and roasting
sensor to switch the oven off at the exact
point your food is cooked. Taking it one
step further, some ovens also have Wi-Fi
technology to connect to your phone and
send you a message when the cooking
process has finished.
Conserving Water
In tests conducted by Which? earlier this
year, it was found that “dishwashers are,
on average, four times more water efficient
than washing by hand per place setting.”
Most dishwashers and washing machines
have eco modes, shorter cycles or
economy washes, with a quick wash using
the least water and a cold wash saving
Taking it one
step further,
some ovens
also have Wi-Fi
technology to
connect to your
phone and send
you a message
when the
cooking process
has finished.
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