Sustainable materials that Commercial Interior Designers & Architects need to know about

01/09/21

Each and every one of us is becoming more and more aware of environmental issues across the globe. No matter whether you’re searching through your social news feed, reading the news or indulging in some TV, sustainability is a topic that is talked about every day.

When it comes to commercial interiors and corporate spaces, interior designers and architects have a big job on their hands.

If you’re an interior designer or architect, you’re sure to be feeling the pressure and looking for ways to create more sustainable spaces, whether in design, environment, or recyclability. Your customers will be asking you about sustainable materials and how they can create great interior design spaces without the huge environmental price tag.

Luckily there is a wide variety of environmentally friendly display material alternatives that are perfect for creating attractive, interior design spaces for commercial interiors such as in hospitality for hotels and restaurants, property marketing suites and corporate offices.

In this article, we explore some of the sustainable materials available and discuss their best applications…

Sustainable Window graphics for Commercial Interiors

Large windows present the perfect blank canvas for high impact branding, or decorative display graphics.

Self-Adhesive vinyl still has a little way to go to tick all the eco-friendly boxes, but the good news is there are sustainable alternatives available that are way more ‘green’ that those that aren’t.

We offer an optically clear self-adhesive vinyl that is perfect for glass application that is made from 80% recycled plastic bottles that are taken from the ocean. This material offers fantastic optical clarity and is resistant to UV and high temperatures, so you don’t need to worry about it warping in the heat. It’s also easy to remove and won’t damage the glass surface underneath. This material is perfect for interior glass manifestation to highlight glass in corporate offices, jazz up blank spaces in meeting rooms or for creating theatre in retail windows for promotional campaigns.

If you’re looking for something that isn’t transparent, then we have a PVC-free self-adhesive vinyl that is opaque. The sticky stuff is water based and it contains absolutely no harmful chemicals. It’s perfect for short-medium term use and is suitable for interior and outdoor applications! You can even apply it to slightly curved surfaces.

Environmentally Friendly Fabric graphics

Tension fabric graphics are a great, sustainable way to create interior branding, signage, and promotional campaigns. Fabric graphics are a popular choice for use in corporate settings to brighten up office interiors, and transform drab, plain indoor spaces to make it a much more engaging and inviting space for staff to work.

In the hospitality sector, tension fabric graphics are widely used as a sustainable way to display lifestyle graphics, such as displaying delicious delights in restaurants or homely and welcoming interiors in hotels.

Changeable graphics make this solution a huge hit in these sectors as campaigns, seasons and messages change rapidly, with tension fabric graphic, messages can be changed quickly and easily too without the need for expert installers.

Not all fabric graphics are sustainable, the key to making them sustainable is by producing the graphics on an environmentally friendly material and using sustainable welt-edging.

By installing 100% recyclable aluminium frames, sustainable fabric graphics can simply be inserted into the frame and can be changed as many times as you need to, for example with every change of season, client visit, or just when you fancy a change. Sustainable fabrics that are removed from the frame can also be 100% recycled and often go on to be recycled into new products such as animal bedding and traffic cones.

Another huge bonus about using printed fabric, is your new replaceable graphics can be mailed/couriered in small packages or parcels, so you won’t have hefty logistic fees or a heavy carbon footprint to get your new graphics to where you need them to be.

We use Marine Fabric to create printed fabric displays for interiors and corporate environments. This material is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles that are removed from the ocean and completely PVC-free. In fact, you won’t find any harmful materials or chemicals in our fabric graphics at all!

Impactful ECO Light Boxes

Like tension fabric graphics with a little extra punch. Backlit fabric graphics create lively, striking images that are not only eye-catching, but incredibly environmentally friendly too.

In a commercial setting, fabric light box displays are a fantastic way to create light in an environment that might otherwise be dark or to create impactful corporate branding. Light boxes are also a popular choice in property marketing suites to display concept images and sleek interior designs, creating a perception of lifestyle if they purchased a property.

Our light boxes also use 100% recyclable aluminium frames, the difference to standard fabric frames is there are LED lights encased in its structure that illuminate the back of the fabric creating standout high impact display.

We create light box fabric graphics using UV digitally printed inks and dye-sublimation. Both processes create stunning graphics that are perfect for commercial interiors.

Just like normal fabric graphics, we use a material that is produced using 100% recycled plastic bottles that are taken from the ocean. It’s also completely recyclable too!

Environmentally Friendly Wall Wraps and Wallpaper for Interior Projects

Printed digital wallpaper is commonly used in commercial interiors and corporate spaces. Often used to tell a brand story, brighten up bare office walls or to create bespoke interiors in hospitality, printed wallpaper can transform spaces and create inviting environments for everyone to enjoy.

In corporate spaces, printed digital wallpaper is often used in multiple spaces to create a theme. This creates a vibrant and colourful environment for staff and also adds the WOW factor for when clients come and visit.

Our environmentally friendly wallpaper is another product that is cleaning up our oceans as it is made from recycled plastic bottles. Its credentials make it an extremely sustainable alternative and environmentally friendly wallpaper alternative to traditionally used products.

Take a look at how we helped SAB Miller brand their offices using printed wallpaper in our portfolio: See the SAB Miller case study

PVC-Free Floor graphics  

More commonly used in corporate interiors over the COVID-19 pandemic, floor graphics are a high-impact way of guiding people on a path or to provide instruction such as social distancing.

Although seen as a temporary application, floor graphics should not be underestimated, as they can have many other uses in commercial spaces such as navigational signage, highlighting zoned areas or complimenting a wider interior design activation.

We offer a floor graphic vinyl that can be used as an interior or exterior application for short-medium term activations. It uses water based adhesive and is completely PVC-free. We also offer a PVC-free laminate that will protect floor graphics from damage and scratches.

Recyclable Display Boards for Commercial Interiors

In commercial interiors and corporate environments, display boards might be used for things like health and safety signage, internal corporate campaigns, or even directional and navigational signage.

Our display boards can be used inside or outside as they are UV resistant and won’t warp, fade, or discolour. This material is also lightweight but extremely robust, scratch proof and heat resistant, making it ideal for exterior applications such as loading bay guidance, branding or directional signage.

As a sustainable PVC alternative, our display boards can also be laser cut safely and won’t give off any harmful gases when processed through print production and cutting. It can also be 100% recycled in mixed plastics.

PVC-Free Magnetic Graphics

Magnetic graphics can be a great way to communicate changeable messages. These graphics are ideal for short-term use but will also last the test of time, so are ideal for use in corporate environments such as internal promotions, workshops, or training events.

Our magnetic graphics are digitally printed and are 100% PVC-free.

commercial interior eco materials

We’re adding new sustainable products to our portfolio everyday 

We’re working with our suppliers to constantly research, update and most importantly add new materials to our ECO range. We’d love to show you what we’ve got so far, get in touch today and we’d love to show you!

 

Are you ready to create Sustainable Interiors for Commercial environments?  

We’d love to help you with your next commercial interior project. Get in touch with our team on hello@kgkgenix.com, we’d love to say hello back!

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