From Mycelium and Cork to Marine Fabrics.. Surprising Materials That May Enter Our Home Furniture

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - From chairs made of mycelium threads, vegan leather sofas, to fabrics derived from seaweed, unexpected materials have gradually begun to find their way into our homes. With increasing pressure on the industry to become more sustainable, designers and manufacturers have turned to innovative alternatives to produce goods that have a circular life cycle, meaning furniture or household items that can be reused or composted, so that they do not ultimately become waste.

The size of the circular home and product market is expected to reach 45 billion euros by 2030 (about 51 billion dollars), driven by sustainable furniture and household goods made from eco-friendly materials, according to McKinsey & Company. Seats made entirely from recycled shoes!

During Milan Design Week, sustainability and material innovation emerged as key themes. The design company Particle presented a collection of sculptural dining room furniture inspired by Bauhaus, made from vintage fabrics and recycled denim, along with a table adorned with 3D-printed candle holders and rubber accessories made from reused shoe soles.

Architects Chrissy Harbert and Amanda Rollings founded the company in 2020, and Rollings told Ufaq News: 'We were using leftover materials from Nike, a rubber called Nike Grind, and we started thinking about places and how to use it in other ways.' Their work with recycled furniture, especially using sports shoe waste, gained wide attention in 2023, with chairs and seats made entirely from recycled shoes.

Rollings explained that 'rubber, plastics, shoe waste, and recycled fabrics hold immense untapped potential. They are versatile materials, allowing for many different creative possibilities.

Davide Balda, a multidisciplinary designer based in Milan, shared a similar vision. During the festival, he transformed unsold garments from the Green B line of United Colors of Benetton (designed to reduce chemical use) into new raw materials for architecture and design.

One of the proposals converts clay and textile waste into natural tiles and plaster, while another uses traditional felt-making techniques to create a durable and flexible fabric from synthetic, animal, and plant fibers for use in home furniture. Balda told Afaq News that the project is an exploration of more sustainable methods to reduce the environmental footprint of the textile industry and to locally process production waste, focusing his work on finding new sustainable materials and giving discarded materials a new life, considering this approach an ethical commitment.

At the same time, The New Raw, based in Rotterdam, unveiled a striking collection of outdoor furniture made entirely from recycled plastic sourced from local waste in the Netherlands, using on-demand 3D printing. Fotini Sitaki, one of the company's founders, stated that what they do is not just a different way of making furniture, but a complete reshaping of the design lifecycle and that sustainable storytelling must run parallel to beauty, as it is important for people to be visually attracted to products, not just because they are comfortable or align with their values.

Additionally, some design companies explored the potential of plant-based materials, chosen for their renewability, durability, and biodegradability, to serve as attractive alternatives to traditional materials like wood or plastic. The Polish studio Husarska revealed a dining set made from a new natural material that combines hemp and plant-based adhesives.

The Rockwell collection made simple cork the star of its exhibition "Casa Cork," which is a space made almost entirely from cork, ranging from interiors to furniture and lighting. The collection included works from designers, students, and hospitality professionals, each exploring a different creative use of cork.

Other simple materials have also gained new attention. The "Enhance" exhibition, coordinated by the Italian design platform Design Wanted, presented a challenge to traditional ideas by highlighting material innovations that align with the seven key sustainable development goals set by the World Design Organization.

The exhibition showcased a variety of furniture made from discarded resources, such as seashells, storm-felled wood, and non-recycled glass, which designers reimagined to become visually appealing and environmentally sustainable pieces. The exhibition curator, Juan Torres, stated: "New materials open different pathways for what design means today.

They reflect a mindset that sees design as a tool for responsibility, especially for future generations," emphasizing that all of this does not yet indicate a complete transformation in the industry, as many of these solutions remain local, small-scale, and in their early stages of adoption. He noted that major brands are monitoring the situation, but they are still slow to implement changes.

Real change comes from the ground up and it may take a few years before these materials become fully mainstream, but the transformation has already begun and is gaining momentum.