Made only of natural materials, with minimal processing, clay plasters are one of the most sustainable interior building products. And with no toxins, off-gassing, VOCs or synthetics, they not only contribute directly to indoor air quality, but there is some initial research to suggest that they may actually help to mitigate the effects of indoor ozone. Which in turn will help to reduce formaldehyde. Corsi and Darling: Source 1 | Source 2

The Silent Spring Institute,  a non-profit research institution in the USA, recently found dozens of harmful chemicals in LEED-certified housing in Boston, leading Robin Dodson, the lead author of the investigation to state:

“… the study is proof that the building industry needs to dramatically shift how it thinks about healthy buildings as an element of sustainability.”

“Green building standards need to do a better job thinking about the chemicals and materials being used.”

Source: Fast Company’s Co. Design

Yet compelling health and sustainability benefits in any products are still rarely the reason people buy, or specify, things.

And so we have to change the image of green building products. We need to change the way we think about them. The most powerful innovations are those that change people’s perceptions of what is possible: these pictures of Clayworks backdrops for the luxurious Benchmark Furniture 2017 range are a profound reminder of the beauty of natural and healthy materials.

See more pictures from this photoshoot here.