At any scale,
a thoughtfully designed space
has the power
to improve people's lives
every single day.
Thank you for being here and a part of this New Collective community! I'm Amanda Tharp, an Interior Designer and Architect, wannabe herbalist, dog mom, aunt, sister, daughter, partner, optimist and proud founder of the New Collective.
I’ve been a designer focusing on sustainable buildings in the commercial and residential architecture space since 2010. I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide range of fulfilling projects from the humblest of residential powder baths to multi billion dollar International Airports. This work has taught me that at any scale
​
a beautiful, thoughtfully designed space
has the power to improve people's lives every single day.
I'm a practical person so I mean this both experientially and sensibly. For example...
A thoughtfully designed room can bring you peace at the end of a long day. It can inspire creativity or help you unplug and connect with your family and friends.
The items in that room, from your sofa to your curtains were designed and made by real men and women whose work for you gave them the ability to feed their families.
If the materials used to make these items are as natural as possible and were sourced responsibly... the makers acted as stewards of our delicate planetary ecosystem and you can feel empowered knowing exactly what chemicals and materials you are surrounding yourself and your family with daily.
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My mission for the New Collective is to empower you to surround yourself with beauty every day, knowing that beautiful design is about much more than aesthetics... it is beneficial for you, your community, artisans, and our planet. It has the power to help us live well every day. Helping give this to my clients is one of the greatest joys in my life so I am excited to be here, for the opportunity to work with you and, to build the New Collective community together!
Below are some of the attributes I look for when selecting products and manufacturers. I recommend those who check as many of these boxes as possible in our curated room designs and custom space designs for my clients.
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Put people first, provide a fair and living wage to their artisans and employees
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Are proactive about offsetting the impact their manufacturing has on the planet, are transparent about their practices
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Offer materials which are premium, organic, rapidly renewable, natural, non-toxic, reclaimed, recycled, and/or easily recyclable or even better, compostable
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Offer low VOC finishes, are transparent about the chemicals used on their products, do not utilize unhealthy chemicals such as flame retardants or antimicrobials
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Beautifully handcrafted products; provide a platform for historic artisanal practices to be appreciated and thus preserved for future generations around the world
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Support fair trade and the upward mobility of small businesses and artisans
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Build their products to last for generations so as to not proliferate the dangerous cycle of over consumption
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Invest in their communities and the communities of their artisans
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Pride themselves on their customer service and quality