In interior design you hear a lot about leather, silk, lace, linen and other high end materials. And while these are all admirable textiles with many useful fuctions, there are other materials out there that are just as admirable and useful that are entirely overlooked. Scoffed at even. Perhaps this is because they haven’t been viewed in the right light. Here are five materials that have made their way into sophisticated decor with the use of a little craftsmanship and ingenuity.

Felt

Felt has come long way from flannel boards and kindergarten crafts. Traditionally made with wool, felt is considered to be the world’s oldest fabric. Although these days you mainly synthetic fiber felts on the market, there are still a handful of producers left that specialize in high quality wool felt. The German imported custom felt used on the ottoman above from Graf & Lantz is made of merino wool. The natural oil content of the wool makes it stain and water resistant. Best of all wool felt is a natural, sustainable and biodegradable material.

Cardboard

Giles Miller has taken the highly overlooked and underappreciated cardboard to create this incredibly intricate table. Employing his signature technique, Miller manages to create intriguing designs that emphasizes the chic and refined side of a rough-and-tumble material. Sustainable as it is stylish, Miller’s recycled cardboard benches and chairs not only look good, but are good for our environment.