Global Design Studio Accouter Hails New B Corp Status

Award-winning international design studio Accouter announced it has become a certified B Corporation. The London-based studio—which provides interiors for global real estate clients of Knight Frank Residential, the UK-based international partner of Douglas Elliman—is the first British interior design collective to achieve the designation as a business that meets “high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency” on a range of social and environmental issues.

A creator of award-winning interiors for over 10 years and part of the Accouter Group of Companies (AGC), Accouter is has made sustainability a key pillar of its business. In hopes of joining the ranks of B Corp. brands, including Patagonia, Tom’s of Maine, Ben and Jerry’s and Allbirds, the firm began the certification process in the summer of 2021.

“We are proud to be the first British Interior Design Collective to join this community of change-makers, alongside a global movement of people using their business as a force for good,” said Accouter Cofounder Stella Gittins in a statement. “B Corp is a holistic approach for us. It shapes our culture and encourages us to acknowledge our business impact and act. Most importantly, it gives us a framework for continuous improvement, so that every day, we become a little bit prouder of what we do.”

“We know there is cynicism around the topic of sustainability for businesses, which is why it was important for us to achieve our B Corp.,” said Accouter CEO Alec Watt. “B Corp separates the green-washers from the good-do’ers. It shows people that those that really want to make a change are making a change, and that they are willing to operate in a way that puts people and the planet first, and profit second. For companies like us, the priority is to meet the highest social and environmental standards, and do so with authenticity, transparency, and full accountability.”

In cooperation with the British luxury brand trade organization Walpole and its members companies, AGC created a framework of sustainability ambitions and assembled a corporate team to ensure they are implemented companywide.

“We believe every initiative needs a passionate leader at the helm, which is why we elected Lauren Stoltzman as our dedicated B-Keeper,’’ said Gittins. “Our enthusiastic B Corp. team worked together to identify all our processes to ensure we are practicing what we preach when it comes to responsible business practices. We now have a village of internal people rooting for change, which makes us a powerful force towards achieving better things as a business. We wanted to come together and step up, and we’re proud to have done exactly that”.

The collective has also created internal DEI and Sustainability teams that meet regularly to ensure their improvements are forever evolving across their business. Read their Responsibility Page to find out more about their mission.