10 ethical homeware brands to inspire your conscious home
Image credits: Corcovado NZ
What does ‘home’ mean to you?
We put this question to our community a while back and were blown away by their answers:
“A safe, comfortable and warm place for whanau and friends”
“A place where I can kick back and truly be myself”
“It’s where the people and things in it bring me comfort”
Across the board, the sentiment was clear: home is a sanctuary that reflects who we are and what we believe in. And every item you bring into this sanctuary, from the couch you lounge on to the mug you sip your coffee from, contributes to your well-being and joy.
But what if these items could satisfy more than our comfort or Pinterest-worthy aesthetic? What if they could not just embody your values, but influence meaningful change in the lives of the artisans and workers who crafted them?
We’re featuring some of our favourite ethical homeware brands not only offer functional or beautiful products, but also go the extra mile to put their makers first.
Trade Aid
Trade Aid’s homeware collection is a tribute to craftsmanship from around the world. From terracotta plant pots made in Bangladesh to baskets to artisan-crafted wind chimes from the Phillippines, each item tells a story of fair wages, sustainable materials and empowered communities.
Trade Aid works hard to form longstanding partnerships with their cooperatives and artisans, contributing to the economic growth of entire regions and helping to build strong, resilient communities.
Corcovado NZ
Corcovado offers an expansive range of furniture, lighting, decorations and rugs. Conceived by New Zealand designer, Larissa Hamilton, every piece elevates your living space with a timeless elegance.
They consciously choose to work with and support other small New Zealand businesses, manufacturers and artisans as they make their sofas and armchairs. For their wood and rattan items, Corcovado works with small family groups of creative craftspeople living in Indonesia, ensuring the longevity of traditional Indonesian techniques.
Having lived in Indonesia for 3 years, Larissa understands what every order placed means to the families they work with. The Corcovado team regularly checks in on their suppliers to ensure that they are all of working age, taking breaks, and are well paid.
Weave Home
Cosy up your home with a rug that is textural, appealing and perfectly suited to New Zealand's relaxed interiors. Weave rugs are made in India from mostly natural materials including wool, cotton, viscose, bamboo silk and jute.
Rug weaving has been a part of South Asian tradition for centuries and is the livelihood of 6.5 million families in India today. The Weave team visits their suppliers in India to review the facilities and ensure that everyone is safe and well-paid.
To further support ethical practices in carpet weaving, Weave partners with Care & Fair - an organisation helping to improve living standards of rug weavers and educate companies on how to take social responsibility from within the industry. Currently, Care & Fair has helped 3400 children attend school at no cost to their families and supplied medical treatments to more than 60,000 people.
Etico
If you're on the hunt for homeware that hits the sweet spot between comfort, functionality and distinctive design, look no further than Etico.
Etico sources sustainable and earth-friendly alternatives for everyday items around the home. They research and hunt out suppliers who share their same core values of honest origin, transparency and care.
A key part of this is looking for universally acknowledged certifications such as the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) for sustainably managed forests, and Fair-Trade Certification marks.
Sawubona
Sawubona’s homeware products offer a unique blend of cultural diversity and practicality, making them a perfect addition to any home. Founded by Esther Gathambo as a way to give back to her Kenyan community, they offer beautiful handcrafted homewares curated from different African countries with Fair Trade principles.
Sawubona currently works with 60 artisans from the Nairobi and Kamba regions in Kenya, 55 of whom are women (weavers) and 5 male woodcarvers. All their artisans receive a fair wage. Having access to more income has truly made a difference in their lives. Their one-of-a-kind collection includes sisal baskets, wooden homewares such as salad servers, small spoons and bowls.
Asili Design
In a world filled with mass-produced goods, Asili’s products emerge as a breath of fresh air. This collaborative platform was born to create home and living collections that are as beneficial to the artisans who craft them as they are to the consumers who cherish them. With a focus on small, low-run collections, Asili offers novelty pieces that you won't find in every other home.
Asili’s management and operational structures are designed to adequately respond to the needs of small producers. The founders aim to visit their teams every two years, and have good relationships with all our producer groups.
They only partner with artisan groups that are Fair Trade Certified and follow the fair-trade principles and guidelines which ensure clean, healthy, and safe working environments along with a fair wage.
House of March
Discover the epitome of luxury and sustainability with House of March's bedding and living collection. Crafted exclusively from GOTS-certified and Fairtrade cotton, their bedding is luxuriously soft, exceptionally durable, and responsibly sourced.
This means that their farmers are paid fair premiums, and our production uses 90 percent less water than traditional cotton. Their Signature weave is unique and designed to become softer with every wash, whilst keeping your sheets as good as the day you bought them.
Aho Creative
Aho Creative creates taonga (treasures) that celebrate and whakamana (affirm) the unique identity, culture, and aesthetic inheritance in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Their home or Kāinga collection is a nod to their unique style, ethics and cultural identity. From intricately carved kitchenware to luxurious cushion covers, every design is inspired from te taiao (natural environment), whakataukī (proverbs), whakairo (customary carving) and kōwhaiwhai (customary paintings).
Aho works with an initiative in India called Chetna Organic, that works with small and marginal farmers towards improving their livelihood options and making farming a sustainable and profitable occupation. They help farmers transition to organic farming methods, establish seed banks and run schools for children.
North of Cody
North of Cody’s cashmere blankets and throws are breathtakingly luxurious and an essential well-being investment. Light-weight and versatile, these beautifully hand-loomed and crafted throws come in a range of earthy tones, each totally unique and one of a kind.
The majority of North of Cody’s artisans are based in Kathmandu, Nepal. This craft is an incredibly rich Nepalese tradition, and the skill is often passed down from generation to generation – especially amongst women of the community. Communicating and working through their Nepalese supervisor, Anjana, North of Cody ensure their creatives work in safe environments where they are paid correctly and fairly. In addition to scarves and blankets, North of Cody also sells vivid art creations from creatives based in Papua New Guinea.
Made Good
Made Good offers a curated assortment of ethically sourced home and living goodies. Based in New Zealand, Made Good carefully selects local and international goods and brands that represent a conscious way of living and consuming. From cork soap dishes that support visually impaired craftspeople to wooden plates made using age-old Japanese techniques, you can find a wide variety of homewares to use, treasure and gift.
All of their suppliers source quality raw materials and craft their products with care and skill. With a commitment to conscious consumption, their goods are made well, made sustainably and made to last.
Find more amazing ethical brands by using our Category filter on the ‘Brands We Love’ page.
