Carina Harford, the visionary behind Harford House interior design consultancy, brings a passion for sustainability and longevity to her work. Here at CJ Interiors, we are drawn to the way Carina uses high-quality vintage and antique pieces as central elements in her designs. Carina explores auctions and antique shops to source unique furnishings, which in turn highlights the potential for choosing quality products whilst reducing carbon emissions.
How do you go about incorporating vintage textiles into your work?
It really depends on the project and on the material. Sometimes a client will have their own vintage textiles they would like to use, sometimes I have something in my collection a client ends up using and then sometimes I’ll source individual pieces for the specific project.
How best to display them?
It depends on the textile! For larger-scale textiles I’ve made simple wall-hangings for clients by attaching loops to the back of the material, and with smaller-scale materials I’ve made anything from cushions to lampshades. It really depends how much of the material you want to see, how it can be cut, the weight of the weave, if it will work pleated etc.
Where to start when using vintage textiles? Can they inspire a whole scheme?
Oh absolutely they can inspire a whole scheme! You have to start somewhere with a scheme and, if you have a blank slate, starting with materials is a delight. I’ll be moving soon and the scheme for my new bedroom will be entirely dictated by a Kanduri cloth I found in a charity shop.
Unique creative ways of working with vintage textiles?
I don’t see enough curtain pelmets these days. Plain roman blinds with vintage textile pelmet…….dreamy.
Why do you love working with vintage textiles?
Throughout my design work instead of searching for something specific I like to search through what is already available. It’s an unusual design process centred around what already exists and how it can be reused, rather than ‘what can I think up and then what can I find to fit that brief’. For example, if there is only a certain length of a vintage material then I have to adapt to the material, not the other way around. The creativity this approach sparks feels distinct and exciting.
Why would you recommend for others to work with vintage textiles?
There’s an immediate sense of history and feeling in some vintage textiles that is just not replicable in new textiles. There’s also something immensely satisfying about searching for and finding antique and vintage pieces.
Separately, from an environmental standpoint: more than 1.2 million tonnes of textile waste from the UK is sent to landfills and incineration every year. By choosing to extend the life of existing textiles we are helping to curb this extortionate waste.
- Take your time - in the same way that shopping for vintage clothing takes time, so does shopping for vintage textiles. They’re not standardised and often non-returnable, so look carefully and ask questions.
- Reverse image search is your friend - the google reverse image search function has massively improved in the last year or so - if you’re struggling to identify a material this is extremely helpful.
- You don’t have to spend big bucks. The world of vintage textiles can get expensive, but don’t let this be off-putting. Not everything is expensive and in many instances will be more affordable than buying new material.
What sustainable practices do you incorporate into your interior design projects?
I usually start with re-use: what does a client have that we can keep or re-finish. Then when we have identified what we already have to work with I will begin to specify additional pieces or finishes. My first port of call is vintage, antique and reclaimed materials or pieces, and where new items are needed I try to promote high-quality, natural-fibre, locally-made pieces.
How do you select eco-friendly materials and products for your designs?
It’s not really a one size fits all, but my core questions when looking at new materials are a) what’s it made of and where were those raw materials sourced, b) who made it c) can be it repaired d) what happens at its end of life?
Can you share examples of recent projects where sustainability was a key focus?
A project I’ve just finished in Guernsey has almost no new furniture; I sourced over 90% of the furniture, rugs and lighting from auctions and antiques sellers, much of it locally on the island. There very few 'new' pieces in the house at all and I'm very proud of that.
How do you balance sustainability with aesthetic and functional requirements in your projects?
It really depends, but I think all three are branches of the same thing: good design. Good design uses high-quality materials and craftsmanship, is beautiful and works. There are always a few compromises to be made on a project but keeping the goal in mind - minimum waste and maximum length of use - is essential.
What certifications or standards do you look for in sustainable furnishings and materials?
Good question! It’s always interesting to see if a product has an EPD (environmental product declaration) explaining the full life cycle of the item. Suppliers that provide EPDs are usually more environmentally-conscious, but not necessarily. For textiles I look for OEKO-TEX which has a few different sub-sections and the Responsible Standard for Wool, Down, Alpaca etc, and GOTS. There are many more certifications within the textile field, but simply asking what the fibres are, where they were sourced and who they were processed by is effective. For furniture I’ll check for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC. Cradle to Cradle is another good standard to look for here, as well as checking the quality of any foam used in upholstery (latex is preferable to foam where possible). With paints I look for low VOCs and mineral/plant-based formulas and for suppliers; anyone with B-Corp certification.
How do you educate your clients about the benefits of sustainable design choices?
Some of it is budgetary - it can be much more affordable to use second-life materials and furniture pieces; some of it health-related - poor quality furnishing foam, for example, has been linked to serious health concerns; and some is just that you cannot replicate the quality and character of older pieces.
This is really boring advice, but don’t rush to buy anything. We live in a culture of massive over-consumption where the ‘solution’ is always a purchase. The most sustainable thing you can do is slow down, assess what you have, rearrange and re-finish what you already own and then try to come up with a cohesive plan to renovate or decorate once, with an eye to how the space may evolve over time.
