Internationally and in South Africa, interior designers are faced with the objective to reconsider and replace traditional
surface materials with materials that meet sustainability criteria. The process contributes to many challenges
that impact on the accurate selection and specification of appropriate sustainable materials during the design and
implementation stages of a project. This paper aims to focus on the factors that restrict and limit designers to specify
sustainable surface materials and therefore prevent them from converting their conventional design processes within
a South African context. In order to identify the factors, a critical review of literature was conducted as well as
interviews with practicing interior designers situated in Johannesburg. The literature review identified that the task
of selecting and specifying sustainable materials is a prominent barrier which ultimately affects the implementation
of sustainable practice. This task commences during the first stages of the design process and if it is associated with
restriction or limitations, it could contribute to resistance toward adopting sustainable design practices. Feedback
from interior designers shed light on the barriers applicable to a South African context and reveals the radical change
that is needed to assist in addressing the lack of transforming the sustainable market and adoption of
sustainable practices.

Authors: Emmerencia Petronella Marisca Deminey, Amanda Breytenbach.