The Ethical Tourist: Sustainable Living

Armadillo & Co at Designfarm

1000 Hay Street, Perth | Website

Adding a new rug to a tired room is the perfect solution for transforming a space. Whether you need to add colour, texture or that “cosy” factor, a rug is the ultimate go-to. Armadillo & Co is an Australian rug company that makes its beautiful products in India. Designfarm on Hay Street is the exclusive stockist of the Armadillo & Co Heirloom Collection, which is 100 percent handmade with extremely fine and soft hand knots. The rugs are crafted by traditional artisans using fair trade practices and made from either natural fibres for their indoor collections (wool, jute, linen) or recycled PET fibres for their indoor/outdoor collection. The company is a member of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand and production is based on the IFAT Fair Trade Standards. They also work alongside India’s Care & Fair Program, to provide health and educational support to families working in rug production. 

Pottery Barn

Hay Street Mall | Website

You are guaranteed to spend hours browsing through the beautiful soft furnishings, glassware, furniture and accessories at Pottery Barn. There are too many styles and knick-knacks to choose from, not to mention the children’s collections that are adorable! The clever team at Pottery Barn have made it easy for you to know what you’re buying with their sustainability shop and tags, that allow you to know which products are handcrafted, sustainably sourced, organic, and fair trade. Their fair trade products include everything from linen to furniture and lighting, which help improve the livelihoods and worker communities. You can purchase cotton made products without harmful chemicals or pesticides, as well as sustainably sourced, reclaimed, recycled and responsibly harvested materials that meet high environmental standards. 

West Elm 

Hay Street Mall | Website

Next door to Pottery Barn in the Hay Street Mall is West Elm, and like Pottery Barn, this retailer has a range of sustainably sourced, organic and ethically made products as part of their Shop For Good range. Expect beautiful hand crafted baskets by Filipino weavers, shell accessories from Filipino Capiz Artisans, silk cushions from Eco Tasat, a silk workshop in India that creates sustainable livelihoods for local women and finally, woollen rugs by Craftmark Indian artisans. 

Clare Ryan has spent over 13 years as a stylist, editor and journalist, working across all lifestyle markets including fashion, interiors, food and design. Clare has styled a number of fashion campaigns and editorials for publications including The West Australian and Marie Claire Australia and continues to style her way through her home town of Perth.