Sustainability in interior design is fast gaining importance
in India as a consequence of environmental concerns, changing consumer values
and motivating incentives imposed by various regulatory bodies. This study
evaluates Indian consumers’ willingness to adopt sustainable materials over
conventional alternatives and examines consumer perceptions alongside industry
practices within a rapidly urbanising and environmentally stressed context.
A mixed-method approach was applied, combining quantitative
survey data from 450 urban consumers with qualitative information from 40
industry professionals, designers, suppliers and contractors. The descriptive
statistics, cross-tabulation, and chi-square were used to analyse quantitative
data and multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of
demand to purchase sustainable materials. Findings reveal the high conceptual
awareness of sustainability (86%) but low ability to identify certified
sustainable materials (54%). The average of 38.5 years means operating adults
who were actively involved in the home improvement or renovation decisions.
Consumer preference is notably strong for low-VOC paints (83% due to lower
VOCs); bamboo (78% due to low carbon emissions and high water absorbency);
natural fiber textiles (70% due to durability, recyclability and
biodegradability); however, industry application remains significantly below
for bamboo (55%) and natural fibers (48% due to cost barriers and instability
of supply chain, undefined certification). Low-VOC paints have the highest
correlation between consumer demand and industry pickup for their availability
because of clear regulations and availability in the market. Willingness-to-pay
analysis indicates that 56% of consumers are willing to invest in premium
sustainable products; education, environmental concern and experience were
found to be important predictors. According to industry stakeholders, cost,
inconsistent supply and insufficient client awareness continue to be barriers.
This study concludes that to address the perception-practice gap, it is
important to have stronger certification frameworks, improved supply networks,
policy incentives, and targeted educational interventions in order to
mainstream sustainable materials in interior design in India.
Author(s) Details
Anjali Marwah
Interior Design Department, School of Design, Sushant University, Sector
55, Gurgaon, India.
Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nhstc/v9/7177
