Are you ready to give your home a spring makeover? Consider trying these five eco-friendly designs in your home. Not only will they help the environment, but they can help boost your style and decor too!
Rethink Your Landscaping
Start outside and create a space that is inviting, intentional, and above all, water-conscious. To do this, you can incorporate native plants that don’t require a lot of water in your landscape design. You may also want to install more alternative hardscape features like walkways, patios, and porches. These hardscapes are low maintenance and help protect our environment by limiting water usage since they won’t need to be watered as frequently as your lawn.
Renew, Don’t Rid
When furnishing your home, consider restoring existing pieces or accepting humble hand-me-downs from family, friends, or flea markets. You can find a lot of hidden treasures at thrift stores and garage sales. When working with existing wood pieces, add a new stain or coat of paint to revive its appearance. Reupholster fabric-covered furniture with hand-selected designs that capture you and your personality. Upcycling materials limits the cutting of live trees and adds character to your home.
Be Mindful of Materials
When you need to buy new furniture, opt for pieces made from recycled materials like reclaimed wood. Just like upcycling, this is environmentally friendly and brings more character into your home. The different colors, textures, and backstories add a sense of depth and intrigue and initiate many new conversations with your company!
Go Green With Decor
To decorate, bring the greenery indoors. Make a statement with a large, potted palm or a hanging spider plant. You can also go the more practical route and plant fresh herbs in your kitchen to use when cooking or place an air-purifying plant in your most lived-in area. Whichever you choose, including natural, renewable greenery helps limit excess materials while adding color, texture, and life into your home.
Idea: You might also decorate with rapidly renewable resources like jute. The jute plant’s durable fibers are often used in wall-hangings, rugs, and accent furniture that give your space a down-to-earth, bohemian feel. The rugs, in particular, help to insulate heat, making them eco-friendly and economical.
Select Sustainable Light Sources
Finally, make sure you have long-lasting, sustainable light sources. More and more people are opting for Light Emitting Diode (LED) Bulbs and with reason. LEDs produce light with up to 90% more efficiency when compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Using less electricity not only helps the environment, but it also enables you to save money on those climbing electric bills. You will also save by replacing LEDs less often since they last up to 25 times longer than the traditional light bulb. When they need to be replaced, you can recycle the low energy light – win, win, win!
Idea: Along with replacing your standard light bulbs with LEDs, consider custom window treatments like light filtering shades that allow natural light to pour into a room. This is environmentally friendly, a natural mood enhancer, and helps create a sense of brightness and warmth in any home.
There you have it, five easy ways to make your home more eco-friendly! While we are confident you can do this, we are also here and ready to help. Contact Shivers’ Design Team at Decorating Den Interiors today to schedule your free in-home design consultation.
