On June 13th, 2010 by Keinton Butler.
When most of us think about eco-friendly interiors or furniture, images of rough and ready recycled timber benches or coffee tables made from tree stumps often come to mind. It’s surprising that in this period of environmental awareness, most furniture manufacturers serious about sustainability still lack real design prowess, and sadly eco-friendly furniture is often overlooked due to its poor design – so what is an environmentally conscientious design lover to do?
Fortunately, there are a handful of furniture companies that are bucking the trend, producing stylish, environmentally sound furniture which is changing the way we think about sustainability in the home. Benchmark is one such company.
Since 2004 Benchmark has been collaborating with a team of top British designers including Terence Conran, Shin and Tomoko Azumi and Thomas Heatherwick to produce a range of domestic furniture which is expertly designed, sympathetic to current interior trends and manufactured to a high standard using sustainable materials and processing techniques.
A self-proclaimed ‘pioneer’ of sustainable furniture manufacturing in Britain, Benchmark’s sustainability credentials are impressive. They have both ‘Forest Stewardship Council’ (FSC) and ‘Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification’ (PEFC) certification, and have been awarded the ‘Queen’s Award for Enterprise’ in the Sustainable Development category (proudly the first furniture maker to win this award).
Benchmark’s commitment to sustainability ensures their manufacturing processes are environmentally sound, their furniture is made from certified timbers and locally sourced materials and they work with other suppliers that share their values.
Here is a small selection of their current range.
Bailey Table, A solid, clean lined table design made with Pippy Oak.
Alvis Armchair, Designed by Benchmark co-founder, Terence Conran.
Plank, A clever design by Thomas Heatherwick created entirely from one plank of wood.
Hexad Table, This table was created in collaboration with Rocket Gallery and Tomoko Azumi and won the Wallpaper* 2010 Design Award for ‘Best coffee table’.
Each item is handmade to order by craftsmen at their workshop in West Berkshire. You can purchase their range direct from their showroom or through the company’s website.