Creating a healthy sanctuary means avoiding introducing unnecessary toxins into your home. In the UK there is increasing awareness around the impact of chemical flame retardants (CFRs), used particularly on sofas and beds. Scientists around the globe have long been raising concerns around impacts including upon indoor air quality and potential disruption to human endocrine systems and cognitive development in children. Meanwhile key voices – including respected lawyer-turned- upholsterer @delythfd who has been a prolific and impassioned campaigner – have been campaigning for changes to UK legislation to safely reduce use.
At @sanctuarybydesign we have been monitoring and investigating CFR concerns for several years and felt compelled to dedicate a chapter to Delyth’s incisive research as one of six expert insight pieces within our book. Her work has been pivotal in raising the profile of this important topic and in advocating for CFR reduction in the UK to the levels of EU and US counterparts.
The UK Government is now running a public consultation to amend fire safety legislation from the open flame test to a smoulder test, to bring controls in line with EU and US legislation. To log your support or register response, do visit the online consultation at … /government/consultations/product-regulation-fire-safety-of-domestic-upholstered-furniture/the-fire-safety-of-domestic-upholstered-furniture
before 23 June.
And now back to a bit of upholstery…
Hope you all saw the Sunday Times (the Sunday Times again), “The Story” a podcast by the Times, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph, Good Morning Britain, GB News, Times Radio and today’s Independent. Anyone with any contacts at the BBC? I think they should talk about toxic chemicals in our sofas too!#upholstery #sustainable
𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
How incredible it is to see the upholstery industry on the front page of The Sunday Times this weekend. The determination and passion of campaigner @delythfd has encouraged the Government to re-examine its legislation around the toxicity of chemical flame retardants used in mainstream upholstery in the UK - but not in Europe or the US.
We have been fortunate enough to work with Delyth over a number of years in the research and development of a natural fibre upholstery build that eliminates the toxins typically used in the industry, including those found in glues, foam and chemical flame-retardant treatments.
“I have been proud to work with Lorfords Contemporary in their journey to remove both glue and chemical flame-retardants from their upholstery builds. The team are so enthusiastic and determined to make a positive change. They clearly recognise the health benefits both to themselves as manufacturers and to the quality of the finished sofa. It’s been a joy.”
Delyth Fetherston Dilke, Campaigner
“The future of furniture lies in transparency, longevity and material intelligence. My ambition is both simple and radical: to create the UK’s healthiest furniture and to demonstrate that true luxury is not only defined by aesthetics, but by the quality of the environment it creates within the home.”
Nasia de la Haye, MD Lorfords Contemporary
This is British upholstery at its most honest. We are proving that sustainability and luxury can, and should, coexist. Toxin-free traceable materials are no longer a niche; they are the future of luxury.
We should celebrate that if this legislation goes through then very soon we will have safer healthier homes. But now until 23 June is a dangerous period, we are not home and dry, we need to respond to the consultation (link in bio) to approve the Governments proposals (yes, yes, yes and yes) and we need to urge the Government to not lose momentum. Others will be needling the Government to dilute its proposals - dilution will not be in the best interest of the health of the nation.
UK furniture foam and fabric. It isn’t healthy for us. And this week a seismic change has come about - through the persistence of thousands of upholsterers objecting to our exposure levels - and through the perseverance of the Department of Business and Trade going above and beyond to fully understand the complexities of the issue. But they’ve done it. A proposal for new legislation has been published (link in bio) and it’s well thought through well researched and well explained. So Instagram you’ve done good - you gave us a platform to communicate - and upholsterers we all owe a debt of gratitude to all the scientists who have produced the hard data on which this decision is being based @jlittlehalesdesign thank you for the reel and the upholstery! @fidra_ngo for so much data @safetyandstandards for your hard work and watch this space for we still need to respond to the consultation, more to follow #healthyfurniture #upholstery #sustainablefurniture
Innovation that sits comfortably 🌱 FullSPRING is a 2-year research project between @rootfull and @delythfd to see just how far plant roots can grow. By guiding root systems through wool fibres, we create a durable, breathable, and entirely compostable furniture filling.
The innovation is at proof-of-concept stage so if you bring the kind of expertise that pushes ideas into reality, we’d love to talk. Read the full story of our 2-year journey at the link in our bio.
supported by @britishwool
