“The connection between craft and tradition is the story itself.”
Jennifer Haslam is a champion for natural and sustainable materials within design. An interior stylist, art director and creative consultant, she has worked with House & Garden, Living etc, Heal’s, Fortnum & Mason and many more clients on campaigns that celebrate materiality, craft and the positive impact materials such as wood, hemp, clay, cork and seaweed can have on our homes.
In 2023 Haslam released her book, The New Naturals, published by Hardie Grant, which showcases 18 global homes that put wellbeing and environment first, using eco-friendly design principles and natural materials to foster a deeper connection to nature.
This week, Haslam brings The New Naturals to life with an exhibition at Another Country, the carbon-neutral furniture makers based in Marylebone, as part of London Festival of Architecture 2025. We spoke to Jennifer Haslam in the lead-up to the exhibition – where we’re proud to be showcasing our clay finishes alongside other like-minded brands who share a commitment to wellbeing and environmental integrity.
What drew you to working with natural and sustainable materials, and how has that personal interest evolved throughout your career?
I’ve always championed good design and well made furniture & objects, within those principles the process naturally leans to a more sustainable approach to craftsmanship. I grew up in the Lake District and spent so much time outdoors and in nature, forming a deep connection to the land, its beauty and the natural materials, which is a constant draw of inspiration for me. Over time my knowledge of the benefits of using and living within these materials has grown, I learnt so much from the architects, the home owners and the designers which featured within my book about the impacts on health and well being of both the person and of course the environment by doing so.
The theme of the London Festival of Architecture this year is Voices. How do you think natural materials can help tell different stories, whether it’s about craft, tradition, or how something was made?
I really believe there is a disconnect between what we buy & furnish our homes with which is driven by instant availability, cost and ultimately fuelled by mass production. When I was promoting my book, people would often say to me at the end of the talks I hosted that they had made the choices to be conscious of what food they were eating, the locality of produce, what clothes they were wearing and how they were made, but still hadn’t made that connection to the furniture they were sitting on, they materials they were building or decorating with. I believe that if we touch, feel and understand what the pieces are made from – connect that back to its natural form, we can have conversations about the benefits of living with natural materials, where pieces are going to end up, and ultimately avoid the masses of furniture & build materials in landfill. The connection between craft and tradition is the story itself. If we connect with the maker, understand the time, the care, the craft & materials used within the process we can appreciate the longevity of the pieces they create.
In your styling and creative work, have you ever had to advocate for using natural and sustainable materials, or are most clients already on board with that approach?
Every brief is different and over the years I’ve worked with a variety of different clients, however since writing the book I’ve seen a pivot in the types of work I’ve been producing, I’ve leaned into the contacts I’ve made from producing the book and started working with more clients where sustainability is at the core of their business ethos, therefore these types of conversations are present from the beginning.
Beyond residential design, tell us about some inspiring architectural or interior spaces you’ve seen that incorporate natural materials in innovative ways.
I’ve been blown away by the Studio Weave, Tom Massey and Sebastian Cox mycelium and timber garden pavilion at RHS Chelsea flower show this year, the showcase of intricate design details and the use of mycelium in a built form has been fascinating to watch, I look forward to seeing more of this project and how it weathers over the years in its new home at Manchester’s Mayfield park. I also have a huge respect for the work that House of Grey produces. Their ethos and principles of circular salutogenic design (the use of non toxic materials that have minimal environmental impact, as well as recognising the impact spaces can have on people’s wellbeing) was recently seen in the collaboration with the NHS Whittington Hospitals (NCIU) NeoNatal Intensive care unit, where she produced a series of rooms for both staff and patients.
As featured in The New Naturals by Jennifer Haslam, Louisa Grey’s home is a calm environment for work and family life. Clayworks natural clay plaster creates visual depth and regulates humidity.
The New Naturals, an Exhibition Celebrating the Natural Home, runs at Another Country, Marylebone from 2-30 June, as part of London Festival of Architecture 2025.
https://www.londonfestivalofarchitecture.org/event/celebrating-the-natural-home/
https://www.jenniferhaslamstylist.com/
Image credits: The Cornish barn, architecture by Tuckey Design Studio – photography Simon Bevan for The New Naturals, Jennifer Haslam, Naturalmat Hemp Bed Linen – photography Jon Day, House of Grey.
