Sustainable design

Dovecote Design practices sustainable design

Using basic and proven principals that can be incorporated into any interior.

We can help you reduce, reuse and recycle so you can feel good about your home. 

First off, let's blow some sustainable design myths right out of the water.  

The Myth

If I want to live in an environmentally friendly home, it will be frumpy and everything will have to be made of hemp. Yuck, I don't like that look.  

The Reality

Having a sustainable or "green" interior does not mean sacrificing style. Our approach emphasises timeless design that is well thought out and often classic. It is an adaptable system that will work with any look. We love eye-candy, so the approach we developed marries aesthetics and responsibility.

The Myth

I'd like to live in a sustainably designed home, but it's just so expensive. I can't afford the up-front costs even though I know long term it would cost less.

The Reality

There are many new earth-friendly products out there that cost more than conventional materials. Things like solar panels which present an up-front cost makes them prohibitive, but that's not usually required using our approach. Each project and home is unique, but for example, "passive solar" may be an option which uses the sun's energy to provide a significal percentage of your home's heat and requires no special equipment. Usually, only conventional building materials are required, but they are used in a more thoughtful way. You'll be saving on your energy bills right away through clever use of window treatments and flooring. We look at what is already available and unique advantages of each site to find innovative solutions.

The Myth

I can't afford to totally overhaul my home or build a new state of the art house to make it more environmentally friendly, so I might as well not even try.  

The Reality

We all have unique priorities and nobody is perfect. We will work with you to find the solutions that work for you and you will never be pressured or guilted to do more than you are comfortable with. Building new can be great, but working with what is already there makes a lot of good sense too.     

Here's our approach in a nutshell

Reduce the use of harmful chemicals in finishes, textiles and furniture in your home or office for immediate health benefits to you and your family. We might even suggest some plants to scrub your air, just like they do on the space shuttle.

Reuse the sun's energy for heating and cooling through intelligent application of finishes to capture passive energy. Save on utility bills and enjoy a more comfortable home or office without ever noticing a difference from conventional interior design.

Recycle what you already have. Fresh eyes may see options using existing furnishings and pieces that may have been overlooked. You might not need to purchase as much as you think to achieve the look and feel you desire.

Sustainable design has come a long way in the last few years. Ethical, low chemical, recycled source materials do not come at the premium they once commanded. Although there are many exciting new technologies that are earth-friendly, many of the more sustainable practices have quite a long history and can be easily adopted by anyone at little or no additional cost.

Contact us to book an appointment and learn how I can help to create a healthy and beautiful interior for your home or workplace.

What clients have to say

  • Practical, beautiful and cost effective

    Tracy's recommendations were very practical, beautiful, and cost effective. Our rooms are now far more functional in terms of layout and design, and they are also more warm, relaxing, and inviting. Tracy was very open to working with our existing furniture which really helped us to spend our design dollars in the most efficient way possible. She guided me through the design process so that I had input the whole way, but with the right amount of guidance from her so that I could benefit from her expertise.

    I feel that the rooms we created are ultimately my own and reflect my own sense of personal taste and style while being expertly pulled together. Tracy was also open and upfront about any of my ideas that would not work so well, which prevented me from making costly design mistakes. She was very good at explaining how different concepts would work, so that I felt comfortable taking the plunge to trying something new with beautiful results.

    Tracy was wonderful to work with and I look forward to the next project around the house so that I can work with her again.

    Catherine P.

  • Whole house renovation

    I have worked with Tracy Wharton over the last several months as she is assisting me with a whole house renovation. I find Tracy very easy to work with, she has some good industry contacts and takes the time to understand her client's needs rather than a "cookie cutter" approach to decorating.

    Working with color is probably one of Tracy's strongest attributes and she really studies not only the color in question but also how it will holistically meld with the rest of the environment. This is particularly important to me as I am colour blind! It is easy to have reservations about a particular color selected but once it is combined with the rest of the palette it creates an amazing outcome. I would have no hesitation to recommend Tracy for commercial or residential design projects.

    Jeff M.

  • A fabulous finished product

    My experience working with Tracy on a recent home updating project was excellent throughout the process, and culminated with a fabulous finished product that I was extremely pleased with. In fact, I had numerous compliments from various house guests on the "new house" that was created, and have recommended her services to several friends.

    From the initial consultation forward, Tracy made a real concerted effort to understand my style; desired function; my end objective; and most importantly, the feel that I wanted to create. All of this was achieved, and fell within the budget that I had set out at the beginning. I was so pleased working with Tracy that I have hired her again for another house that I will be moving into shortly. 

    Edi W.

  • New build from drawing stage to completion

    I would like to take this opportunity to relay what a wonderful experience we had working with Tracy at Wharton Interiors. She pulled together a space/home that is most beautiful and true to our taste. She worked with us to find what we desired and ensured that it all came together perfectly. Both her eye and personality made the process fun and stress free. Thank you Tracy for creating such a lovely space for our family to live in!

    L. Hardy

  • Works with smaller budgets

    Not only is Tracy extremely creative and tapped into local and international product sources, she is also able to work within smaller budgets and is always mindful of sustainability and the environment. I highly recommend her work! 

    R.G.

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