In this edition of Elle Decoration NL ROOTS Exhibition’s founder and curator Simone van Es was featured in the Sustainability Special sharing her three sustainable favourites form her ROOTS Milano presentation.
Among them is Bal Tash’rit by Emma Batsheva, a design methodology rooted in the Jewish precept ‘do not waste’. By combining carpentry and leathercraft with laser-cut modularity, Emma reduces leather waste by over 70% and proves how cultural heritage and material innovation can merge into a closed-loop practice.
Also included is Tom Schoonhoven’s Tube Lamp of Rammed Earth, a sculptural light crafted with the ancient rammed earth technique. Smooth in form yet raw in texture, the lamp transforms layers of soil into a glowing fragment of the land itself — a reminder that earth is more than material, it is memory.
The third project is From Dutch Wool and Seaweed, a collaboration between Zeefier and The Knitwit Stable. By turning seaweed waste streams into natural pigments and reviving unused Dutch wool, they show how local resources can reshape an industry. Earlier this year, this carpet designed by Nienke Hoogvliet won the Green Product Award in Berlin, underlining the international potential of their vision.
Together, these projects reflect the essence of ROOTS: design that begins with the soil, honours heritage and seeks regenerative futures. From Berlin to Milan and Paris. Now in the pages of Elle Decoration, their stories show how creativity and ecology can grow hand in hand.
X Simone🌱♻️
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