Eco Home
Chandelier by Madeleine Boulesteix, Graham & Brown eco wallpaper, Aspen detail and Poly-morph chair by Lou Rota
Tuesday 13 October 2009 to Sunday 7 February 2010
This special exhibition at the Geffrye Museum will address widespread and increasing interest in the way that climate change and the state of the planet affects our homes and the way we use, decorate and inhabit them. It is supported by John Lewis.
Eco Home will examine current ideas around eco living in an informative and timely way. The climate change agenda is having an impact on almost every area of life and the home is no exception. Recycling and saving energy have, for some, been part of daily life for generations, and is today enjoying a resurgence as well as new significance and urgency. The mantra ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ is prompting us to rethink our habits and behaviour. This exhibition will offer visitors food for thought on what they can do to make small but important eco changes in their homes.
We are now being encouraged to think about saving resources like water and electricity and turning to renewable sources. People are also beginning to consider the impact of industrial production methods and responsible sourcing. Eco Home will investigate how so-called ‘green’ issues have entered our domestic spaces, using both products that are already well established in the marketplace as well as futuristic prototypes.
Visitors to the exhibition will go away better informed about some of the issues around design and consumption which affect home life. At the same time they will be able to see that eco-friendly can also be chic and that aspiration towards good taste and design can go hand-in-hand with trying to help conserve the planet’s resources. In fact, ecological design is now at the cutting edge of home design, with traditional products becoming ever more stylish.
The Geffrye will work with eco designer Oliver Heath to achieve a visually stimulating, sustainable and interactive design which underscores a range of eco themes and features a wide variety of products which can help lower our carbon footprint. The exhibition will be loosely divided into four sections: reducing energy and water consumption and adapting our homes and behaviour to conserve these resources; the life cycle of a chair and its impact on the environment, from materials used and provenance, through to its repair and biodegradability potential; recycling and the diverse ways now available to recycle all types of household waste; and eco-friendly materials and how they can be transformed into desirable new products for the home.
The museum’s director, David Dewing, says, “This is the right moment for the Geffrye to mount a show exploring how our homes have, and will be, affected by concerns about the planet. Eco Home will help us to consider ways in which almost every home could become a bit greener”.
Sean Allam, Head of Product Sourcing at John Lewis says, “Eco Home is a timely exhibition, marking the impact that environmental considerations now have on the choices people make for their homes. Capturing the Eco Home movement in full swing through this exhibition is exciting and thought provoking, showcasing just some of the small steps we can take to make a big difference”.
Related Events
Exhibition Talk: Eco Homes
Book vases by Laura Cahill at Eco Home
An opportunity to explore and discuss a range of themes, ideas and objects from Eco Home with the exhibition’s curator.
- Saturday 21 November 2009 and 23 January 2010, 2.00pm and repeated at 3.30pm. Admission free.
Evening Debate: Eco Homes
A lively and provocative panel discussion and debate exploring issues around Eco Homes and how to green our future – stylishly!
- Thursday 12 November, 7.00 – 9.00pm
Workshop: Eco Excluder
Be inspired by our Eco Home exhibition and create a unique draught excluder using recycled fabrics, with textile designer and author of 'Sew it up' Ruth Singer.
- Saturday 23 January 2010, 11.30am - 4.30pm. Tickets £25 (includes materials but not refreshments).
Notes to Editors
1) For further information and images, please contact Nancy Loader, PR and Press Officer, on 020 7739 9893 or nloader@geffrye-museum.org.uk.
For information relating to John Lewis, please contact: Sian Jones, Press and PR Officer, John Lewis: Sian_Jones@johnlewis.co.uk or 020 7592 6003 or Hannah Walsh, Rain UK: Hannah.walsh@raincommunications.co.uk or 020 7222 4345.
2) The Geffrye explores the home from 1600 to the present day. The museum’s focus is on the living rooms of the urban middle classes in England, particularly London. A chronological sequence of period rooms show how homes have been used and furnished over the past 400 years, reflecting the changes in society and patterns of behaviour as well as style, fashion and taste.
3) John Lewis says of their focus on green issues: “Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is, to John Lewis, an essential part of our DNA. Sustainable products, mutually beneficial supplier partnerships, resource-efficient shops, good customer service – they’re all part of how we do things, each and every day. Such responsibilities are embedded into our business, and because we do not have external shareholders, we can make long-term decisions about how we source our products, run our operations and support our local communities for the best interests of all our stakeholders”.
4) Oliver Heath is a designer, writer and television presenter. He set up Heath Design in 2005 to bring aspirational sustainability and good design together in a variety of media including eco consultancy, architecture, interior design, product design and writing.
5) Admission: FREE
Address: 136 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London E2 8EA
Tel No: 020 7739 9893 Web: www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mons 12noon - 5pm
Travel: Buses: 149, 242, 243, 67 or 394
Tube: Liverpool St, then bus 149 or 242/Old St (exit 2), then bus 243
17 September 2009
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