Now a Certified B Corp, Accouter Aims to Make Interior Design More Sustainable

By Grace Cassidy “The process of achieving a B Corp certification is certainly not for the faint-hearted,” Stella Gittins said. As the Cofounder and Group Director of the furnishing and interior design collective Accouter Group of Companies (AGC) , Gittins speaks from experience. The London-based firm—a longtime collaborator with Douglas Elliman’s international partner, Knight Frank Residential— announced earlier this year that it had become the first interior design collective in the UK to achieve certification as a B Corp. Short for benefit corporation, B Corps are mission-driven companies that are dedicated to values beyond profitability or return on investment. Through a rigorous process administered by B Lab United States & Canada—which establishes standards and policies meant to “shift the behavior, culture, and structural underpinnings of capitalism”—B Corps must demonstrate that they are committed to “the highest standards of purpose, accountability and transparency.” Stella Gittins and Alec Watt, cofounders of Accouter Group of Companies. Since Gittins and CEO Alec Watt cofounded the company in 2012, AGC has made sustainability a core tenet. Citing a retail survey that found Millennials and GenZ consumers more inclined to patronized companies that reflect their own values and principles, Gittins noted that sustainability was a primary consideration. But in a sample of companies in the interior design supply chain, she said, only a third are “actively trying to be sustainable” in practice or have defined sustainability targets. The companies in that cohort, she added, “are only on the start of their journey and therefore are still not where they want to be or where they need to be in order to make a wider, positive impact on our industry.” For its part, AGC has woven sustainability into its sourcing of materials, how it determines the durability of products or materials and its innovative efforts to extend their lifecycle. “We are planning to create benches from off-cuts for a large-scale project, and also list cushions from upholstery off-cuts on our e-commerce platform, Bazaar London ,” Gittins said. “That’s just another way we can increase circularity and reduce material waste.” In addition to repairing pieces before placing them back into its furniture rental business, AGC also donates products to the British Red Cross to allow them to enjoy a new lease on life in another home. The Bryanston in London. The Bryanston in London. Atlantis, The Royal Residences, in Dubai. Beyond Ticking Boxes Explaining her company’s decision to pursue B Corp certification, Gittins noted that it was the logical next step in formalizing and advancing a well-established ethos. “To embark on this journey, you must be personally and commercially invested into the ESG agenda and be lucky enough to have a team culture which aligns B Corp’s values and mission,” she said. The journey began with an assessment of “all internal processes, structures and legalities” measured against B Lab’s 0-200 scale. “The magic certification number is 80 points,” Gittins said. “By benchmarking, we were able to focus our attention on implementing the strategies and processes which would make the most impact in the shortest time.” The company also created a Sustainability Manifesto , inspired by the one established by British luxury brand organization Walpole, with goals that include the use of all-renewable energy, sourcing materials from responsible suppliers and full traceability on their supply chain, as well as more equity-based targets, like eliminating the median gender pay gap. “An Environmental Purchasing Policy was born alongside collaborative sessions with our Eco Team based on B Corp benchmarks,” Gittins said. “Now our onboarding process goes far deeper into examining the environmental statistics of our supply chain and manufacturers.” After an 18-month-long process, AGC won its B Corp certification in January 2023. “What I love about the B Corp structure is that it’s not an annual tick-box exercise,” Gittins said. “For those businesses that really want to make a difference, it provides them with a framework to continuously evolve and improve their scoring, and in turn feel prouder about what they do.” Moreover, the certification enables AGC to draw on the collective scale of its fellow B Corps to make a real impact. “Being part of the B Corp movement, surrounded by a group of like-minded companies that are banging on the same drum, gives us the strength and gravitas to be able to challenge the organizations within our own industry,” Gittins said. “We are proud to continuously and actively source from unique artisans with a more sustainable approach to design. We can’t and won’t be ignored.” AGC is currently devising targets in relation to the number of extra B Corp points it plans to achieve each year. As part of an effort to reduce its Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions , the company is conducting a comprehensive carbon audit of operations that will result in a detailed Carbon Reduction Strategy. “We are also in the early stages of collaborating with like-minded B Corp interior brands to bring an eco-offering to our client base that covers all aspects of interior schemes as a stronger force,” said Gittins. “I can’t wait to share more on this!” Ultimately, she said, B Corp certification is only the beginning of a long road ahead. “Sustainability is a never-ending journey, which should also include a social and governance strategy. It means a continuous process of regeneration, so we won’t stand still.”