If you maintain a vegan diet or have an appreciation for cruelty-free products and practices in your life, you may want to consider designing your home from a vegan perspective. Vegan home design might sound odd at first, but the more you explore how vegan ethics apply to your home, the more it will make sense. Keep reading to learn more about this approach to home design. Even if you are not vegan, you might learn more about alternative interior design choices.
What Does Vegan Design Mean?
Vegan home design essentially refers to using elements that are free of animal products. A vegan home would rely on plant-based or non-leather fabrics. Many vegans would also eschew fabrics that resemble leather, such as a vinyl chair. Other materials vegan design doesn’t use includes feather pillows, silk sheets, and woolen drapes or blankets. Essentially, any product that could have originated with an animal is avoided at all costs.
In place of these items, a vegan designer or homeowner would opt for plant-based fabrics like cotton, linen, and hemp or synthetic fabrics, like nylon, polyester, and spandex. Despite the restrictions, there are many options available for everyone to enjoy.
Vegan Doesn’t Mean Limited Options!
For every item made from animal products, there are several that are made from plants or synthetics. Rather than a woolen rug, there are loads of synthetic rugs available that will be easier on your budget, and likely easier to clean. A synthetic textile is one that is made of man-made fibers.
There are many items out there that have a vegan alternative. Down bedding and pillows, which are made from feathers, can be replaced by cotton-filled comforters and pillows. Rayon, which is a synthetic fabric, is a great alternative to silk. Faux leather, or vegan leather, is often synthetic-based but can also be made from cork or kelp.
Vegan interior design is not hard to find in Portland – there are a number of vegan restaurants in the Portland Metro area. Interior designers have likewise opened up to and adapted their offerings to alternative lifestyle choices, making vegan options more readily available and easier to access.
Cruelty-Free and Design Forward
Vegan furniture is just as design-forward as items that rely on animal products. In fact, you may be sitting on a cruelty-free, vegan chair as you read this blog post. Even non-vegans can probably point to many items in their lives that adhere to vegan standards. For every leather-clad sofa, there are hundreds that use cotton fabric and a synthetic filler.
Despite the stigma of the word ‘vegan,’ there are many design-forward options available. When it comes to interior design, vegan is no longer a thing to be avoided. With more and more people caring about the treatment of animals and wanting to avoid animal products altogether, vegan offerings will continue to grow each year in many different markets throughout the U.S.
Karen Linder Interior Design Knows Vegan Design
Karen Linder Interior Design can consult with you on design options that accommodate many different tastes and sensibilities. Call Karen today and she’ll help you create the cruelty-free interior of your dreams. Reach her by phone at (503) 515-4745 or send her a message.