Fact-check: The home of the future is green

With the rise of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, one thing we rediscovered is the importance of our homes. Their history reaches as far back as humankind itself, evolving with our demands, habits, and the technology to support these developments. Yet the basic need for shelter remains at the core of our existence. Spending increased time indoors, the connection between living design and its inherent effects on human and ecological well-being reveals itself more than ever.

Responding to need and desire, design is a product of its time. Good design outlasts the former and contributes to its context and the interiors it fills, acknowledging its effect on the environment. It is especially in our age of climate change that the impact we have on our surroundings can no longer be disregarded. Over 80% of all furniture waste ends up landfilled, calling for a critical reconsideration of our consumption and production patterns and how these define our daily lives.

It is impossible to envision the homes of the future without considering the current tendencies in consumption. Studies show that 62% of Millenials and Gen Z prefer to buy from sustainable sources, with the vast majority basing their purchasing decisions on values and principles.

Working towards sustainability and a green interior design concept, we recently partnered with the iconic department store Kastner & Öhler in Graz, Austria.

In 1873, Carl Kastner and Hermann Öhler founded the Kurzwarenhandlung Kastner & Öhler in Troppau. With 139 years passed since the opening of its location in Graz, on the first floor next to the champagne bar and overlooking the main escalator, stands the first-ever, green-only PAMONO pop-up. Inspired by K&Ö’s Greenspiration campaign, the space is made to invoke a shift in consciousness, promoting the sustainable home of the future.

„The best thing about vintage furniture is that it’s already there,” says Isabella Tatzberger, Sustainability Manager at Kastner & Öhler. “Vintage is more than just a trend. It is about developing a mindful approach to design that lasts a lifetime. So many furniture pieces produced today in our fast-paced consumerist age end up where they started: in the countries that originally produced them, but this time rather in the landfill,” she adds.

Going green and shopping vintage not only contributes to reducing waste and damage to our environment. Pre-loved items bring so much more to the table: made to last, vintage furniture was designed with quality in mind, adding historical value and unique charm to any interior.

Reusing and repurposing are our friends in times when overconsumption is our planet’s enemy. The world may be a vast place, but is it big enough to fit all that we need and still provide space for everything we want?

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    Hristo Lachezarov

    Further exploring his love for design, Hristo joined PAMONO in 2020 and is currently our B2B Growth Manager, which allows him to work with many amazing architects and interior designers on curating stories like the one you just read.