The New Jersey-based designer spoke to NKBA about design, sustainability and encouraging clients to make their homes more green.

By Elisa Fernández-Arias

An award-winning interior designer who is known for creating luxury kitchen, bath and living interiors for over 20 years, Sharon L. Sherman, CKD, based in Bergen County, NJ, creates kitchen and bath environments that suit her clients’ needs in styles including Mid-Century Modern, Beach, Farmhouse and many others.  In addition to her keen eye and high standards, Sherman always prioritizes sustainability in her designs.

Sherman’s design company, Thyme & Place Design, and many of her award-winning kitchen and bath projects, have been widely published in national design, women’s and industry publications. Sherman has also appeared in Design Milk, The Washington Post, The New York Times and Forbes, and her blog is widely read.

NKBA sat down with Sherman to talk about sustainability and design — both in her work and the industry at large.

When you first start planning a design project for a client, what sustainable considerations are most important to you?

Sustainability is not a separate conversation with clients. From seeing my blog posts, my social media content, and knowing that I’m a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, they know that sustainability is an intrinsic part of Thyme & Place Design’s philosophy.

All components of our projects maintain an eye toward sustainable practices. From demolition to selecting materials to waste management to air quality, we consider sustainability in all the steps we take, making it part of our entire planning process. We separate copper, metal, cardboard and debris, and we recycle as much as possible. The cabinets we use are all FSC Certified, which is an important consideration for me as a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. When it comes to lighting, we discuss the quality and longevity of LED lights, and when it comes to appliances, we think about energy efficiency and food preservation capabilities — which are very important to me and to most of my clients.

Who or where do you look to for inspiration for sustainable solutions for design?

There are so many great places to get inspiration! First, there’s NKBA and KBIS, both of which showcase products, educational content and materials which are all sustainable. Most publications also highlight and showcase projects that use eco-friendly products, materials and manufacturing methods, like KBB, Interior Design Magazine and regional publications (for instance, Design NJ, Bergen Magazine and NJ Home). Finally, social media makes it possible for designers to directly connect to sustainable practices in design.

How can designers overcome the perception that sustainability is a trade-off for convenience and affordability?

This is all about education. I also find that different demographics have very distinct ideas about what sustainability is and about our responsibility towards it. Some feel there should not be a tradeoff — and I agree. Convenience and affordability is an outdated argument against sustainable design. There used to be a catch that it was only luxury items that could be sustainable — but that has changed. Now, there are products offered at every price point. For me, sustainable practices is a luxury we can all enjoy.

You can see this in the industry, too. At KBIS, sustainability was a major component that manufacturers emphasized for their products.

Do your clients come to you for more sustainable design solutions and/or how do you guide them through the process? Also, are you seeing an uptick in demand for more sustainable solutions from clients over the past few years?

Clients understand our philosophy on sustainable design and how it will impact their projects. If we don’t need to remove an entire wall or ceiling, we will work around those things so as to not remove materials unnecessarily. That not only saves on materials, it also saves the client money. When specifying products and materials for projects, I will make sure to point out often overlooked details, such as how to choose the most sustainable materials in terms of energy and water usage, their impact on food preservation and how far they have to travel to the client’s home.

What do you think needs more sustainable solutions in design right now? And are there trends and/or new innovations that you are excited about?

The concept of fast fashion has slowly infiltrated the home design market. Products which have a short life span in either design or manufacturing have also had an unfortunate impact on our environment. Sustainable design must also have longevity. Planned obsolescence has had an unfortunate impact on our environment by contributing to the waste in our landfills, and the problem should be resolved. It really is up to designers to strive to create beautiful, functional and sustainable rooms which can easily adapt to the ever-changing design trends. Simple changes made to wall coverings and colors, or to hardware or tile, can make a huge difference in the style of a kitchen or bath. Always strive to create timeless interiors which, like a chameleon, can thrive despite shifting trends.