Material Impact – Designing with Purpose: An Unmissable Design Conversation

How British-made materials and collaborative innovation are redefining sustainability in commercial interiors.

On May 20th, five leading UK commercial interior suppliers - Ulster Carpets, Panaz, Hypnos Beds, Newmor Wallcoverings, and Harlequin - hosted a thought-provoking panel at Ulster’s London showroom. With sustainability at the forefront and global supply chains under scrutiny, the panel explored how British manufacturing is poised to lead the next era of sustainable design.

Moderated by Alys Bryan, Editorial Director at Design Insider, the panel featured Sam Hall (IHG), Tom Thorogood (Studio Moren), Joanna Knight (Sustainable Design Collective), and Jack Pringle (Studio Pringle/RIBA).

A Call for Action Over Aesthetics

“Sustainability is everything - you’ve got to take action,” said Sam Hall, setting the tone early. “It’s all talk unless we do something. Small changes from everyone - that’s where real impact begins.”

Hall reflected on the growing gap between sustainability as a marketing message and the real, measurable impact that clients and the planet now demand. “We need to stop talking about sustainability as a generic virtue. It’s not a tick-box. It’s embedded decision-making. We call it designing sustainability in and designing waste out.”

For Joanna Knight, the urgency was underscored by timing: “Today is the UK’s Overshoot Day. We've used up our annual share of ecological resources and it's happening earlier every year.” Knight warned against complacency: “We can’t keep making new things, even if they’re slightly better. Reuse must become the norm.”

Collaboration with Substance

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the panel was the importance of early and meaningful collaboration between designers and manufacturers. For Tom Thorogood, the conversation around sustainable materials has shifted from specification to co-creation.

Referencing a recent project, Thorogood described how his studio worked closely with Ulster Carpets to optimise rug loom efficiency by reviewing sizes and standardising colour palettes across hotel zones. “Just by limiting ourselves to 25 colours, we were able to drastically improve production efficiency - without compromising the creativity of our designs.”

Jack Pringle agreed: “We’ve partnered with manufacturers to co-create products that didn't exist before. Whether it’s modular partitions or stripped-back furniture systems, this kind of collaboration allows us to reduce waste, cost, and complexity - while often achieving better design outcomes.”

But trust, said Hall, is the true currency in these relationships. Sharing a story of a trial involving textile dust from carpet manufacturing being reused in mattresses, she admitted, “It didn’t work, but we learned from it. You don’t move forward unless you try. That openness, that willingness to fail together, is where real change happens.”

The Role of UK Manufacturing

While the design industry is increasingly global, the panel made a compelling case for the unique benefits of UK-based manufacturing, particularly when it comes to sustainability.

Knight pointed to shorter supply chains, transparent sourcing, and reduced embodied carbon as key advantages. “We have extraordinary heritage in British manufacturing,” she said. “Weaving, carpentry, upholstery - there’s deep craft knowledge here that supports both innovation and traceability.”

However, these strengths are not without challenges. Brexit has introduced new complexities when specifying British products for European projects. “There’s a perception issue,” Knight explained. “We need to reclaim the narrative: British-made isn’t just local, it’s credible, it’s agile, and it supports long-term value.”

That credibility, however, demands scrutiny beyond country-of-origin labelling. As Tom Thorogood explained, what appears local on the surface can unravel under closer inspection. “We sourced lighting from a manufacturer in Austria for a project, thinking it was the sustainable option,” he recalled. “But then we learned the lights had to be shipped to the U.S. for testing before being returned to Austria for installation. That completely undermined the environmental savings we thought we were making.”

Designing Across Boundaries: Hospitality Meets Workplace

In today’s evolving commercial landscape, sector lines are blurring. Offices look like lounges, hotel lobbies double as co-working spaces. “There’s a hotelification of the workplace,” said Jack Pringle, “and equally, hotels are now being designed to support productivity and remote work.”

When asked how this trend was affecting client expectations, Hall noted that the convergence creates both opportunity and necessity for more adaptable material solutions. “Whether it’s a hotel or an office, the environment should work for you. Materials need to support durability, comfort, and wellbeing - without compromise.”

Thorogood agreed: “Suppliers who traditionally served workplace clients are now crossing into hospitality. It’s not about sector, it’s about adaptability.”

Emotional Value and Storytelling in Materiality

Material selection isn’t just about performance or compliance. As Hall pointed out, it’s increasingly about emotional resonance. “Guests are connecting with the story behind materials. Local craftsmanship, heritage techniques, those are the details that elevate the experience.”

Pringle elaborated: “Reused materials don’t just reduce impact, they bring depth. Like vintage fashion, a blend of old and new tells a richer story. You don’t need to buy shiny and new for something to feel luxurious.”

Thorogood added: “Designers love finding new things and understanding how they’re made - it brings meaning to the materials we use.”

Knight championed material reuse as an untapped opportunity, citing her work on a university project that reused 2,500 furniture pieces, saving over 70 tonnes of carbon. “It’s madness to focus on shaving 5% off a new product’s emissions while discarding perfectly good assets.”

Transparency and Circularity

One of the lingering myths in the commercial design sector is that sustainability comes with a premium. The panel roundly rejected this. “It’s not always more expensive,” said Hall. “Sometimes it’s just more efficient. Swapping materials in a hotel mock-up recently saved us €6,000 per room.”

What clients need, she said, is evidence of long-term value. Choosing products with proven longevity is a key part of designing responsibly, extending lifecycle value while reducing waste and replacement costs. Pringle likened it to the automotive industry: “Porsche says 80% of all their cars are still on the road. That’s carbon preserved. It’s quality that endures.”

And increasingly, sustainable performance isn’t optional. “Clients want to know how materials impact everything from energy efficiency to ESG scores to guest retention,” said Hall. “Sustainability is a business strategy - not a bolt-on.”

Designing for Impact

As the conversation drew to a close, the message from the panel was clear: the future of design isn’t just sustainable, it’s intentional.

“We need systems that reward good decisions,” said Knight. “Because the stakes are no longer abstract, they’re ecological, economic, and deeply human.”

From thoughtful collaboration to rigorous transparency, the path ahead demands creativity, courage, and a commitment to doing better. For Hall, Pringle, Thorogood, and Knight, that commitment is not an ambition - it’s a responsibility. And for the UK manufacturers hosting the discussion, it’s a call to lead by example.