New and Sustainable Materiality Options

Photo courtesy of Kravet via Business Of Home

Marine Plastics are becoming more mainstream in producing sustainable textiles.   Kravet has just launched a new line of performance fabrics and I am ordering samples for my client and I to review for our next project. Partnering with the Seaqual Initiative, Kravet will work with other brands to remove ocean plastic waste and transform it into a new yarn.   The goal of the Inside-Out Seaqual performance fabric is to reclaim tons of garbage and transform bottles into a new raw material and weave it into fabrics that can be used indoors, outdoors, and resist moisture and stains.

Photo courtesy of Kravet via Business Of Home

I am also amazed with Shiir Rugs new offerings made from recycled bottles.   They not only have visually interesting textures, but the tactile texture is also incredibly deceiving.  The yarns spun from PET create a soft, wave-like pattern and are offered in a number of beautiful colorways.   You can see more HERE.


Another brand that I love, which has used recycled glass for decades, is UltraGlas.  Located in California, the CEO and the design team have always thought about reuse, repurposing and recycled materials.   I first used UltraGlas in 2000 for two apartments. In one, we designed a tabletop of sculptural glass as well as a partition between the dining area and kitchen.  

In a NYC loft, we used UltraGlas  to take an island to bar height by using the glass as the counter surface, and suspending it from custom sculptural metal brackets.   The glass does not show any finger prints, has a wonderful textural quality and is highly chip and shatter resistant.  


Fast forward and they are now offering UltraGlas-E, which is 100 percent recycled and sourced from landfills, rivers and oceans.   Turning scrap into both interior and exterior applications, they have created screens, gates, furniture, lighting and so much more.   I love their mission and the quality and engineering of this product.   You can check them out HERE.

Phyllis Harbinger