Whether a hotel is under construction or being renovated getting the right hospitality furniture in Melbourne is not an easy task. You might think what makes it challenging. Well, places like a hotel are crammed with heavy traffic of people. Mostly you will find people from abroad and out of the city. Daily hundreds or maybe even thousands of people check-in and out of the hotel and the furniture goes under a ton of wear and tear. This means it has to be durable and strong enough to bear all this for a long time.
Thinking about the environment:
At present, having furniture made from the best materials isn’t enough. Today many people look for sustainable hospitality furniture. It means all the tables, chairs, couches, carpets, etc. shouldn’t only be tough but they should also be made from eco-friendly materials. For achieving high-level sustainability in furniture there are a few factors that need to be kept in mind.
(1) Think of life-cycle assessment:
While designing the hotel furniture professional designer companies can use LCA or life-cycle assessment. It allows assessing the environmental aspects of contract furniture. By conducting an LCA, you can assure your contribution to a greener hotel environment.
(2) Select environmental friendly materials:
It is the most obvious factor when you think of sustainable furniture. Manufacturers use toxic chemicals to treat fabrics and wooden frames causing a release of harmful gases in the atmosphere. All this can be avoided if eco-friendly materials are used.
Some organic materials:
Following are some options to consider for eco-friendly materials:
- Using unfinished timber
- Using pure new wool as it is organic material
- Using recycled materials including wood, metals, and plastics
- Using woods sourced from sustainable woodlands.
(3) Establish proper processes:
Using the right materials for sustainable hospitality isn’t going to be enough. You will also have to adopt the right methods and processes to qualify the furniture as sustainable. A lot of processes consume large amounts of energy that cause pollution and negate all efforts for an eco-friendly environment. Some actions designers can consider are:
- Recycle any sawdust, cardboard, and timber remains
- Utilizing stains that don’t contain formaldehyde
- Using hydroelectricity because it is a low-impact energy resource
- For heating, the manufacturing facility wood remains should be used.
Best materials that can be used:
Besides the race among hotels and designers for making sustainable furniture an bar stool, there shouldn’t be any compromise on beauty, looks, appearance, and durability. So which materials should be used?
When it comes to metal aluminium and stainless steel are the best options. Wrought iron is also gaining popularity. Keeping the sustainability factor in mind bamboo or wicker is more eco-friendly. Oak, pine, maple, beech, cherry, and ash are commonly used woods.