People are becoming more and more conscious about their impact on the environment. Whilst this concern has brought many lifestyle changes, it is also being reflected in our interior designs by taking the shape of green and sustainable decor ideas.
From minimising your ecological footprint to reducing your energy bills and creating a more efficient living environment, adopting a sustainable approach when styling your home brings you incredible benefits.
The good news is that there are numerous inexpensive and easy ways to integrate eco-friendly designs into your interior decor. Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Natural Paints
Choosing paints is one of the most important decisions when designing your home. Opting for natural paints made of plant oils, minerals, and extracts can make your home greener. Although some may require a higher initial investment, they are an affordable option in the long run.
Since they don’t contain any toxic materials or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), natural paints help avoid potential health risks. They can also offer greater colour retention, viscosity, and protection from abrasions for many years to come.
LED Lighting
Lighting is the most inexpensive area where a green difference can be made. For example, going for LED lights over incandescent bulbs can save you significant amounts of power. They are highly energy-efficient and last up to 40 times longer, which means they incur lesser electronic wastage. These small yet bright fixtures produce little or no heat preventing the build-up of additional warmth in your home during the hot summer months. You can work with an interior designer to find creative ideas for installing LED lights in innovative ways.
Let’s not forget that LED lighting is often confused with hospital lighting. The reality, however, is quite the opposite. The right kind of LED lighting can create a warm, nice, and aesthetic ambience.
Simultaneously, you can reduce the need for artificial light during the daytime by depending on large windows, smart glass, and skylights.
Vegan Products
Leather or fur made from animals uses preservatives and chemicals to create durability and longevity. These ingredients can result in hormonal imbalances, allergies, and asthma. Conversely, using vegan products decreases the chemicals and preservatives present in your home decor items. They also help you go the extra mile in ensuring an environmentally friendly home. Just make sure that the chemicals used to preserve the textiles are not made of animal by-products.
Here’s are some examples of vegan products you can easily incorporate into your space.
Vegan Leather Sofa
It's time for you to replace your leather/silk/fur/wool sofa with an animal-friendly sofa. With many companies using apple waste (such as apple cores) to manufacture vegan furniture pieces, this unusual concept has started gaining popularity among homeowners.
Vegan Soft Furnishings
No home is complete without cosy soft furnishings. When looking for cushions, throws, and rugs, pick products that make your home vegan. For example, you can find bath mats, blankets, and cushions made of vegan products and lamps made from sustainable scrap wood. They have hypoallergenic and antimicrobial properties — beneficial for you (and your home). For curtains, linen is an eco-friendly option as it is composed of cellulose fibres found in flax plants. Whilst for rugs, look for articles made of hemp, organic cotton, soybeans, or wood pulp for a fluffy and appealing yet greener environment.
Renewable Energy Sources
Renewable energy sources are constantly developing and becoming more affordable as their demand and production rise. Their capability to derive energy from natural resources such as wind, sun, and water makes them non-pollutive and sustainable.
To consume solar energy, consider installing solar panels. They will reduce your reliance on electricity from the city grid. In fact, the contemporary designs use advanced battery technology to generate net zero energy homes where the utility-provided energy is completely replaced by sustainable sources.
You can also incorporate a green approach when getting your house constructed. Many countries are moving toward hydraulic dynamism, which uses water instead of oils to produce electricity. This means jacks, cranes, forklifts, and pumps can now be operated with a negligible impact on the environment.
Natural Ventilation
Reducing your energy consumption can significantly limit your environmental impact. When transforming your home into a greener space, you can try replacing supply ventilation, exhaust ventilation, and mechanised fans with big windows and large spaces.
Casement windows, for instance, have hinged frames that allow the window to open completely like a door. Alternatively, louvre windows can help control airspeed and vary ventilation paths. Whichever you choose, remember to place them either on adjacent or opposite walls for cross ventilation. You can also go for convective ventilation that uses temperature differences to move air.
Final Thoughts
From eco-friendly interior design tips to energy-efficient materials for your interior, there are tons of other ways to embrace green options in your home! All you have to do is to focus on looking for renewable energy resources, sustainable decor items, and ozone-friendly ingredients.
So, what are you waiting for? Implement the tips listed above and do your part in protecting and respecting Mother Nature — and yourself. After all, we need her to survive and thrive!
Need some help with making your space green and eco-friendly? Just book one of our Interior Design Gurus here and filter for ‘Sustainability’! They can look at your space over video chat, understand your objectives, and give you personalised tips, ideas and guidance on how to achieve an interior that you love.