What Interior Designers Should Consider Beyond Materials

Kelly Ng Shah’s watercolour on repurposed cardboard highlights how material choices in art can align with broader sustainability goals in commercial interiors.

Sustainability in interior design is often measured in finishes and systems. FSC-certified timber, low-VOC paints and energy-efficient lighting have become standard considerations in commercial and hospitality projects.

Art, however, is rarely scrutinised with the same rigour, despite carrying its own material, logistical and lifecycle impact.

From production methods and material sourcing to shipping, installation and long-term maintenance, art procurement can meaningfully contribute to — or detract from — a project’s sustainability objectives.

For interior designers, sustainable art sourcing requires looking beyond medium alone.

1. Look Beyond Recycled Materials

When evaluating artwork through a sustainability lens, designers should also consider:

• How the artwork is produced
  
  

• Whether the artist works with low-waste studio practices
  
  

• The scale and efficiency of production
  
  

• The durability of materials in tropical climates
  
  

• Maintenance and conservation requirements over time

Sustainable art sourcing is as much about process and longevity as it is about medium.

In our project for Nomura’s Singapore office, we looked beyond the use of recycled aluminium drink cans as the primary material. Sustainability was embedded from the conceptual stage and woven into the design narrative itself. As part of the company’s CSR and green initiative, staff members were engaged in collecting over 2,000 drink cans across eight months, which were then transformed into a large-scale artwork integrated within the office environment. What might otherwise have entered the waste stream became a visible symbol of collective participation and environmental responsibility.

The impact was twofold. Materially, the project diverted waste and reduced reliance on newly manufactured substrates. Strategically, it aligned the artwork with the organisation’s environmental commitments, making sustainability tangible within the workspace.

In this sense, sustainability is about how thoughtfully materials are reintegrated, how meaning is constructed, and how long a work is designed to endure — both in time and in relevance.

For many design teams, a considered approach to sustainable art sourcing begins with this kind of lifecycle thinking.

2. Why Regional Sourcing Matters

For projects based in Singapore, regional sourcing offers both environmental and cultural advantages.

Reducing long-haul shipping lowers carbon emissions, shortens lead times and minimises freight risk. More importantly, regional procurement allows artwork to reflect the environmental and cultural realities of its location.

At lyf Cebu City in the Philippines, sustainability was embedded directly into the artistic concept. Filipino artist Leeroy New created a coral reef-inspired installation for the hotel’s reception using locally sourced waste materials – including plastic cups, discarded fishing nets and other debris.

The installation did more than upcycle waste. It was a work rooted in place, highlighting marine pollution specific to Cebu’s coastline while creating a visually compelling hospitality feature.

Similarly, at the Courtyard by Marriott Setia Alam in Malaysia, a local ceramicist was commissioned to create over 100 plates celebrating regional craftsmanship.

For interior designers, when art sourcing reflects the environmental and cultural realities of its location, sustainability becomes narrative alignment rather than abstract principle.

3. Sustainability Through Craft Communities

Sustainable sourcing can also involve sustaining material traditions and the communities behind them.

French-Filipino artist Olivia d'Aboville approaches sustainability through material lineage and community collaboration. Her textile work incorporates renewable Philippine fibres such as abaca from Cebu and shibori silk handwoven and hand-dyed in Palawan by the Rurungan Sa Tubod Foundation, a social enterprise that supports women weavers and preserves traditional craft.

Textured sculpture by artist Olivia d'Aboville at Le Grand Palais, Paris. Image courtesy of Olivia d’Aboville

By integrating such handmade materials into contemporary large-scale works, she bridges artisanal heritage with modern interiors. The sustainability of her practice lies not only in the use of natural fibres, but in sustaining production networks that might otherwise diminish under industrial pressures. 

Sustainability, in this context, becomes regenerative rather than reductive.

4. Designing for Longevity

Sustainable art sourcing does not end at acquisition. It extends into how works are installed, protected and maintained over time.

In tropical climates like in Singapore, UV exposure, fluctuating air-conditioning cycles and humidity all influence longevity. Preservation strategies must therefore be embedded into procurement decisions. Works that degrade prematurely due to conditions in the environment require restoration or replacement, increasing resource consumption over time.

Archival framing materials and UV-protective glazing often need to be specified from the outset. These preventative measures are designed to ensure that the works would withstand long-term installation within a high-performance office or hospitality environments. Proper mounting systems and strategic placement are equally considered to reduce environmental stress on the artworks.

Such decisions reduce future conservation needs and extend the lifecycle of the work, protecting both environmental resources and client investment.

Sustainability is also about safeguarding what allows the work to endure.

5. Refresh Without Replacement

Refreshing a space does not necessarily require wholesale replacement.

Rotational exhibitions, phased commissions and long-term art master planning offer adaptive alternatives that keep environments dynamic without generating unnecessary waste.

At The Working Capitol’s main workspace at Keong Saik Road, we rotate artworks every quarter to refresh the space and provide artists an ongoing platform to exhibit their works. 

Same workspace, different vibes at The Working Capitol along Keong Saik Road.

This approach is particularly effective for workplaces and co-living environments where ongoing engagement is a priority.

For interior designers, this demonstrates how programming strategy can become an integral part of sustainable art planning.

A Curatorial Approach to Sustainable Procurement

For interior designers navigating ESG targets, Green Mark requirements and increasingly sustainability-conscious clients, art procurement should not remain peripheral.

True sustainability in art sourcing extends beyond recycled materials. It considers lifecycle impact, regional context, longevity, community ecosystems and preservation strategy.

When art is selected through this broader lens, it becomes part of the sustainable framework of a space — contributing not only aesthetically, but environmentally and culturally.

At Fiidaa Art, we work closely with interior designers and developers to integrate art procurement into the larger sustainability strategy of a project. If you are planning a new workspace or hospitality environment, we would be happy to share tailored recommendations aligned with your design and ESG goals.