Eco-friendly interior design practices have gained ground in recent years due to the unique qualities of various materials, which help meet your decor needs without harming the environment. The impact of climate change, global warming, and environmental degradation on the planet has made it important for homeowners to move towards sustainable design solutions. Regarding home decoration, prioritizing beauty and the planet’s safety is easier than you thought. Here are some sustainable ways to design your home’s interior.
- Refurbish your used furniture
Refurbishing old items is one of the easiest ways to improve your sustainability at home. Old stuff may have some element of charm that new materials can’t guarantee you. Therefore, consider refurbishing your old furniture instead of disposing of it. This practice helps reduce waste and conserve natural resources. Revamping your old furniture and furnishings also saves costs, so keep this in mind.
- Add more plants to your room
Filling your home with plants will offer a dose of freshness. They complement your interior decor and are a smart way to increase the air quality in your home. Plants can provide the perfect decor for most of your interior spaces. Besides boosting air quality and reducing noise pollution, plants can improve temperature regulation in your home, allowing you to lower your energy bills. The good news is that a touch of greenery easily blends with every design style, making your home look better.
- Work with a sustainable designer
Hiring a professional, sustainable interior designer is a surefire tip to establish a green home. These professionals have extensive knowledge of the best sustainable design ideas, so they can give up-to-date solutions to meet your needs. Whether you want to select the right furniture, fixtures, or flooring, working with eco-friendly designers will make the process seamless. They may recommend choosing linoleum over vinyl for your flooring since the latter can be toxic. This illustrates how hiring an expert can guide your interior design decisions.
- Choose eco-friendly finishes
It may surprise you that the type of paint or varnish you apply to your home can play a role in your sustainability. Most paint elements are composed of volatile organic compounds or VOCs, which evaporate at room temperature, lasting for many weeks. Volatile organic compounds have some health risks as they can pollute your indoor and outdoor air. Some finishes also come with fungicides and pigments that harm the environment. Therefore, it makes sense to reduce your ecological footprint by choosing eco-friendly finishes such as nontoxic paint, milk paint, latex paint, and finishes with low levels of VOCs.
- Use sustainable lighting systems
Furniture isn’t the only thing that defines the mood of your interior space, but lighting. Strategically investing in sustainable lighting solutions for your interior design, such as LEDs, is essential. LED light bulbs are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent lamps, and they hold a strong promise to help the planet as homeowners seek sustainable interior designs. According to the EPA, modern LED light bulbs consume about 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last about 25 times longer. Installing them into your pendant lights is a great way to build an eco-friendly environment and reduce utility costs. It also helps to let more natural light reach your home by opening your curtains and blinds during the day. This practice minimizes your reliance on artificial lighting, saving you more money and energy.
- Prioritize minimal interior
Applying the idea of “less is more” can allow you to create an interior space that is ergonomic and sustainably conscious. Minimalism involves decluttering, organizing, and using fewer materials, resulting in less manufacturing and a low environmental impact. For instance, Scandinavian design is popular for its minimalist approach to decoration and focus on raw natural materials. Prioritizing minimal interior design means reducing the number of household items that use non-renewable energy, so keep this in mind. You may consider using natural organic cotton, linen, and hemp for your bedsheets and upholstery. Further, using small jute fiber-made area rugs can reduce your need for synthetic materials. Another cool idea to green your interior design is investing in fireplaces with biofuels instead of electricity-dependent heating gadgets.
- Use reclaimed wood products
Wood planks can enhance your home’s interior design. However, not all wood products are created sustainably. Excessive use of wood can hurt the planet due to increased logging. If you want to create a sustainable interior with wood, it helps to opt for reclaimed wood instead of brand-new things. Adding small touches of reclaimed wood can impact the feel of your space. For instance, you can find various stick on wood options to style your walls.
- Invest in low-impact products
Avoid high-impact materials and embrace sustainable interior decor products as much as possible. See if you can lessen your use of unsustainable and harmful fossil products, including plastics, nylon, polyester, and Styrofoam. Low-impact items are designed from renewable, non-synthetic, and non-poisonous raw materials. It helps to select responsibly sourced wood and recycled metals for your furniture. Tencel and Qmonos fabrics are also biodegradable and sustainable. On the other hand, recycled polyester could be a greener alternative to nylon.
- Consider retrofitting
Another way to reduce waste and cost is retrofitting, such as strengthening your walls or adjusting to modernize your space. Assess your existing interior for the possibility of retrofitting as a smart design tip. Not only will this practice bring you unique and green results, but it also benefits your finances. Effective retrofitting can eliminate the need for demolition and reconstruction.
- Patronize fair trade and local products
Fair trade products support sustainability, transparency, and equity in the world’s trading market. Building an environmentally healthy home interior requires taking mindful decisions. And one such choice could center around promoting local businesses and manufacturers. Patronizing fair trade and local products will limit your need for long-distance transportation. Local products are mostly hand-made, unique, and effective in introducing personality to your home interior. Fair trade principles encourage you to put the planet first, minimize waste, and protect nature by choosing sustainably managed products.
- Use bamboo
Bamboo is classified as grass rather than a tree. This versatile grass has a good strength-to-weight ratio and is a much more sustainable alternative to wood. Bamboo is among the fastest-growing plants on the planet. From an ecological perspective, it requires little fertilizer or pesticides to thrive – making it a sustainable raw material for residential applications such as flooring and furniture.
- Consider rattan furniture
Rattan is a naturally-grown vine species that finds applications in furniture and decoration. This rustic and sustainable material is a popular choice for many homeowners. From furniture to blinds, there are endless ways to employ rattan in your home interior design. Unlike hardwoods that mature for 20 to 30 years, rattan can be grown and harvested in two years.
- Buy modular units
Modular units are separate pieces set up collectively to produce a specific design. Most homeowners understand the benefits of going with modular units; these are efficient and eco-friendly. Modularity allows you to rearrange and readapt one piece of furniture in diverse ways to create different styles. And as a result, buying them helps reduce your waste.
- Insulate your home
Insulating your interior keeps your home cooler during summer and cozy in the winter. This can help you lower your utility bills and reduce your environmental impact. Sustainable interior design is a fast-growing trend of creating environmentally friendly yet functional spaces. Charity begins at home, so build an eco-friendly home with these tips to improve your sustainability.
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