Designing responsibly: Interview with Nick Shute from Dodds & Shute
We sat down with Nick Shute, co-founder of Dodds & Shute, to explore how sustainable procurement can play a bigger role in shaping responsible interiors.
Dodds & Shute place sustainability at the forefront of procurement. At Goldfinger, we design furniture that is genuinely made for good - treading lightly on the environment while supporting our communities. From the point of view of Dodds & Shute, what principles matter most when creating spaces that benefit people and the planet alike?
At Dodds & Shute, our mission is to push the boundaries of the design industry to deliver spaces that are beautiful both inside and out. We believe who makes products, under what conditions and with what materials is as integral to good design as form, colour, and fabric. To us, each design decision is an environmental and social decision. Creating spaces that benefit people and the planet begins with recognising that these two ambitions are inseparable. The everyday principles that guide us are quality, materials, circularity, and social impact.
There’s a growing momentum around acting consciously and designing responsibly. Looking at the sector today, where do you see the most exciting opportunities to create meaningful change through design?
We are at a pivotal moment for the built environment. The most exciting opportunities lie in reframing sustainability from compliance to creativity. Material innovation and reuse are particularly leading the way. Designing with reclaimed materials, bio-based products, and carbon-sequestering timber allows interiors to act as climate solutions. Equally, the shift towards circular design - specifying products that can be repaired, reconfigured or repurposed - challenges the status quo in the design sector.
There is also opportunity in transparency and data. Clients are increasingly seeking clarity around supply chains, carbon and lifecycle impact. We all have a responsibility to lead these conversations as meaningful change comes from collaboration. By embedding environmental metrics alongside aesthetic ambition, we can redefine our projects as we align around shared values. We believe we can, and must, go further together.
We love working with local timbers. For this project, we designed a selection of pieces made entirely from Grown-in-Britain certified ash, oak and walnut. Why do you think it is important to work with locally-sourced timber for projects?
Supporting the restoration and active management of British woodlands is a fantastic thing. Well-managed forests are healthier forests and demand for certified local timber creates the economic incentive to steward these landscapes properly. We equally love your Treecycled timber approach to urban circular forestry — reclaiming wood from trees that have reached the end of their life in cities and giving that material a second life as beautifully crafted furniture.
Late last year, Dodds & Shute recertified as a B Corp with an increased impact score of 109. As a proud B Corp ourselves, this collaboration felt like a natural alignment of values. What does being a B Corp mean to you?
The B Corp movement represents a shift in business culture towards purposeful impact and we are proud to be part of that transformation. Our recertification was an important milestone as it shows we are still on the right track but it’s tough work and requires continuous improvement and a willingness to evolve. Collaborating with like-minded organisations such as Goldfinger reinforces that collective progress is possible when values align.
Storytelling plays a powerful role in how we experience and connect with spaces. How do you see storytelling helping to communicate the value of sustainable design and inspire people to engage more deeply with the spaces they inhabit?
Sustainable design is often discussed in carbon figures, certifications, and percentages. While these are essential proof points, we also love to highlight the lived details - where a material was sourced, was the piece crafted by a young designer or a local SME, or was an innovative material used. We’ve seen firsthand how these stories create connection and spaces people can be proud of. They encourage people to understand the journey of the furniture around them.
Ultimately, a lot of our own sustainable work has been focused on education and awareness. Through narrative, we can inspire deeper engagement and foster a culture where design is appreciated not only for how it looks, but for what it stands for.
Click HERE for more information about the British Land project
