Toxic by Design Inaugural Event Raises Awareness About Non-Toxic Décor

Photo: Peter Loyd-Vuolo

Kayleigh Concannon was prompted to leave a successful career with Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Amazon, and Target when her husband, Ryan, was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) triggered by toxins in their home. In response, she founded Uniquely You Décor to blend design with deep wellness. “Home should be a safe space,” she says. “We focus on designers’ influence over the health of their clients’ while embracing non-toxic design.

Now, Concannon is hosting what she anticipates will be an annual event, “Toxic by Design.” It will be held October 17th in the Interior Design Center (IDC) third floor public event space from 9:30 to 11:30 am. The event schedule includes an educational overview, a Q & A with a panel of experts—including survivors of environmentally-triggered illnesses— and visits with vendors who are leading the way with non-toxic materials. “My goal is to make the event eye-opening and practical,” Concannon says. “Non-toxic design doesn’t have to be aesthetically boring or more expensive. It opens the door to creativity without compromise.”

Photo: Kaleigh Concannon

In business and life, Concannon advocates for CIRS awareness alongside the opportunity to educate about the steps to minimize or mitigate the threat of chemically induced illnesses. “CIRS can present in so many different ways,” she notes. “Symptoms can run the gamut and often include fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, digestive issues, skin rashes, and autoimmune disorders.” According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), treatments involve removing the triggers to avoid inflammation, avoiding exposure to toxins, anti-inflammatory medications, dietary modifications, and lifestyle changes.

Deeply influenced by her husband’s illness, Concannon continues to learn as much as she can about the lack of regulation in the furniture manufacturing industry that exposes consumers to the risk of sensitivity. “There is no reason why designers shouldn’t, as paid experts, be doing our due diligence in continuing to educate ourselves to understand the ways in which our jobs touch our clients’ health,” she emphasizes. Uniquely You Décor focuses on both beauty and health and offers non-toxic consulting for interior designers as they support their clients with wellness-centered needs.

Photo: Peter Loyd-Vuolo

To learn more about non-toxic design, Concannon is developing a publication entitled The Safe List. A consistently updated resource, the list will be available to subscribers. First issue availability will be announced on Concannon’s Instagram page. To learn more about, or plan to attend the Toxic by Design event, please visit the Uniquely You Décor website.

Photo: Peter Loyd-Vuolo