‘HOW WE LIVE A SUSTAINABLE LIFE’
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Brogan Cox is the creative director of Sebastian Cox, the environmentally conscious furniture-making business she runs with her husband. Their ‘nature first’ ethos extends to life in the Victorian terraced home they share with their two young daughters and dog Willow. Here, Brogan explains how the family adopt a sustainable approach to every aspect of their lives
HOW WE DECORATE SUSTAINABLY
Many interiors projects start with a skip, pulling out the previous owner’s fixtures and fittings. We’ve tried to create a home that future owners can put their personal stamp on without needlessly removing and wasting these things. When we’ve gone, colours can be changed and the gentle contributions we’ve made to the interior architecture remain as part of the bones of the house.
We’ve used ecofriendly paints, including Edward Bulmer Natural paints, which are plant and mineral based, plastic-free and low VOC. I wanted to buy a product that hasn’t degraded the planet in its production and that I can safely return to the earth when I rinse the brush. We also recently bought ready-to-hang curtains made from recycled wool and flax from Stitched; they’re beautiful and well priced.
HOW WE FURNISH SUSTAINABLY
All our furnishings are made from natural materials or bought secondhand. Obviously, Sebastian has the skills to make bespoke pieces and, as at work, only uses British wood. Finding sustainable soft furnishings is a much bigger challenge. It’s important for us to avoid man-made foam that can’t be recycled and doesn’t decompose in landfill.
We bought beds from Naturalmat, wool-filled pillows and duvets from the Woolroom and bedlinen from Piglet in Bed, so we know our girls are snuggled into all-natural materials. Our sofa and armchairs were secondhand; they work brilliantly now and will be re-covered when our budget allows. I love the idea of supporting a local upholsterer and giving furniture a new lease of life.
HOW WE EAT SUSTAINABLY
I can’t remember the last time we went to a supermarket. Everything we eat is seasonal and almost all is organic. We have fruit and veg delivered from Riverford and shop mail order with Hodmedod’s for organic grains and pulses farmed in the UK.
Occasionally we eat meat and buy from Knepp and Pipers Farm, which delivers free-range options to your door. We also grow as much fruit and veg as we can squeeze in; a small plot can be surprisingly productive. For a while we kept chickens for eggs, until they were eaten by a hungry fox!
HOW WE TACKLE WASTE SUSTAINABLY
Food waste is something I feel strongly about. Everything about scraping uneaten food into the bin feels wrong. We meal-plan to avoid it and compost scraps such as veg peelings and coffee grinds in two Hotbins and a Subpod. It’s incredibly easy; soft shredded cardboard can be added too.
We’re meticulous about recycling and try to avoid anything in awkward or unrecyclable packaging. Our youngest child grows into the eldest’s clothes and I gift, or donate to charity, any still in good condition; grotty items go to the workshop to be used as oil rags.
Furnishings in the Cox household are made from natural materials or bought secondhand. Much of the furniture is bespoke and crafted from British wood Above Brogan with Sebastian, their daughters and Willow the dog
HOW WE ENJOY NATURE SUSTAINABLY
We live in Margate and spend a lot of time at the coast, in the woodland we manage for our business or in our garden. The girls dig up potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes and pick tomatoes. Our eldest is obsessed with blackcurrants; she comes indoors with black-stained hands throughout summer. They know most of the herbs and can collect sprigs when I’m cooking; with two children who are wild at heart, you can’t grow things they can’t safely pick and eat.
Our three-year-old also attends Forest School and already knows so much about nature. It’s my ambition to show them their place in the world; that we are very small and the world around us is vast and doesn’t belong to us. I try hard to create moments in nature where they can feel a sense of awe. I believe that finding this in the everyday makes you happier.
‘Finding sustainable soft furnishings is a challenge but I love giving secondhand furniture a new lease of life’
Escape to the Peak District with a stay at this enchanting 13th-century manor house.
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For a calming London stay, look no further than this beautiful Georgian townhouse.
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Enjoy some me-time on a relaxing stay at one of the country’s top spas in Leicestershire.
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