An award-winning west London design studio is set to unveil a powerful environmental message through the most unlikely of platforms – a cool kids’ bedroom set up

Sustainability has become more than a buzzword, it’s a necessity for the future of our planet, but we all like Nice Things, right? So how do we consume less, while creating the home of our dreams?

The answer is in careful sourcing. Choosing sustainable brands and products, and looking that little bit closer at what we’re buying and from whom.

IKEA, for example, is making waves in mass furniture production with its circular economy – aiming for zero waste by reusing waste. From simple steps like picking up your old sofa – wherever you bought it from, and disposing of it sustainability – to creating new kitchen worktops from old plastic bottles. It’s an admirable approach.

So a design studio showcasing ‘sexy sustainability’ is a very welcome step indeed, demonstrating positive luxury at its finest.

Run For The Hills, based in Maida Vale, is the company behind Into the Wild, a fantastical room set to be unveiled at Design Encounter, a series of interconnecting spaces put together by a select group of leading interior design practices, at Decorex 2019.

The urban wonderland bedroom, designed for a five-year-old eco-warrior, is an edgy, fashion-forward space mixing childhood fantasy and 70s rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia with an overarching theme of rebellion and environmentalism.

Into the Wild is a fantastical yet sustainable children’s bedroom design for Design Encounter at Decorex 2019

‘They say it is the young, eco-crisis generation who will save the planet,’ says Run For The Hills’ Creative Director and co-founder, Anna Burles, ‘pointing the finger at us and telling us to wake up and join their rebellion.

‘We want to bring that story of hope to life, woven through our room set via the eco-conscious brands we have collaborated with and custom design details like our bespoke T-shirt designs on the clothes rail and a curated selection of kid’s books, including The Tantrum That Saved The Earth and Rules For Living on Planet Earth.

‘They say it is the young, eco-crisis generation who will save the planet’

Many of the products and suppliers used within the set have sustainability at their core, including the Princess and the Pea bed, one of the hero pieces within the room set made in collaboration with Corsets & Creations. The mattress is a 100% sustainable, eco-friendly organic product, and the bed base is made by hand in Devon by NatureMat.

Beside the bed is a Twig side table from Pinch Design, made from coppiced hazel. Nestled beneath the bed, on biodegradable flooring from Fibre Flooring, are layered Way rugs from Ferm Living, made entirely from used plastic bottles.

Anna Burles & Chris Trotman of Run for the Hills

The Good & Mojo Kalimantan wall light by Houseology is made solely of sustainable and recycled materials. The paint by Earthborn is free from oils, acrylic and vinyl with no added volatile organic compounds (which easily become vapors or gases), and synthetic ingredients are kept to a minimum.

Real tree stems and branches from Cameron Landscapes ‘grow’ up from the corners of the room, holding up a sheer gauze fabric, featuring an atmospheric, dream-like shadow puppet projection animation, specially created by the Run For The Hills graphic design team.

The creative imagery used in the animated projection is also referenced in art prints on the walls and a series of specially designed mini eco-warrior t-shirts, again created especially for the room set by Run For The Hills in-house artists.

There’s also a custom-made balloon installation from Pop Pop Papier, sequin wall installation from Tracy Kendall and custom trapeze-style, pink tube lights from Nulty Bespoke above the bed.

‘Run For The Hills want to be part of the revolution groundswell,’ continues Burles, ‘so we thought our room set at Decorex was the perfect platform to bring this important message to the fore.

‘It’s time for all of us to embrace the power and responsibility of our role in design, showcasing sustainable products and hero-ing suppliers who care deeply about the way they do things’

‘It’s time for all of us to embrace the power and responsibility of our role in design, showcasing sustainable products and hero-ing suppliers and makers who care deeply about the way they do things, fashioning interesting and thoughtful things in the eco-space. Our set is designed to show that worthy doesn’t compromise one bit on wow factor.’

Other design studios working with architect John Allsopp to create the Design Encounter house include Sella Concept, These White Walls, Natalia Miyar, Samantha Todhunter Design and Zachary Pulman. Find out more about the designers below:

Decorex International runs from 6-9 October 2019 at Olympia London. Consumer tickets are £40; trade tickets are £18. See decorex.com