Sustainable Interior Design Using Recycled Materials: Development of Reusable Interior Elements from Reclaimed Wood, Waste Glass, Textile Waste and Reused Tiles
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Abstract
Interior design has a significant role in determining the materials used in residential, commercial and institutional spaces. Conventional interior finishes can depend on virgin resources and may contribute to waste when products are damaged, replaced or renovated. This paper examines how recycled, reclaimed and reused materials can be incorporated into interior elements while balancing visual quality, functionality, safety, durability, maintenance and environmental responsibility. It focuses on reclaimed wood, waste glass, textile waste and reused or broken tiles, with a design-development direction that combines broken tiles and recycled glass into modern geometric surface textures for wall panelling and other suitable interior applications.
The study adopts a design-led, mixed-method approach: a literature review, a material-audit and screening framework, a case study, a questionnaire survey of 20 respondents (mainly interior designers and students aged 18–25), and two proposed prototypes, a terrazzo-style glass-and-ceramic tile (ReGlass-Cera) and a modular acoustic ceiling panel (ReCycleCeil). Survey respondents were strongly receptive to recycled materials (80% would use them at home or work; 80% would accept them for decorative wall panels), but only 55% were confident that they are durable enough for interior use, and 35% answered “maybe”. The prototypes have not yet been fabricated or tested, so no performance claims are made. The paper does not assume that recycled content alone guarantees sustainability. It offers a transparent framework for material screening, modular and repairable detailing, and evidence-based sustainability indicators, intended to support responsible material selection and later experimental work.
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