Home decorating you new home with the environment in mind can be quite the challenge: people often assume that in an effort to be more Eco-friendly, they might sacrifice their personal style. The truth is that going green gives you an even bigger opportunity to exercise your resourcefulness and come up with something as creative as it is environmentally friendly. To get you started, here are some things that you can do to help merge design and sustainability in your living room.
1. Use reclaimed wood furniture. Reclaimed wood is lumber rescued from disposal for reuse, and many green furniture stores have been turning them into great furniture. By choosing the right wood furniture, you can make your living room look anywhere from urban to shabby chic.
2. Improve your lighting. Incandescent light bulbs burn more energy, which contribute to your carbon footprint. Instead, opt for CFLs or compact fluorescent lights, which burn only a fraction of the energy that incandescent light bulbs do while producing the same brightness. Also, you can save even more energy and bathe the room with a natural glow by letting sunlight into your home during the day, so remove the heavy drapes and hang up sheer curtains.
3. Enhance your walls with Eco-friendly products. If you want to chance the design or color of your walls, make sure that you choose low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint or sustainable wallpaper to avoid releasing toxic chemicals to your home’s atmosphere and to lessen your contribution to waste.
4. Change your flooring. A nylon carpet is made from petroleum, which is a big pollutant and is non-renewable. A good alternative would be the more eco-friendly untreated wool carpet. An even better choice is to consider natural (cork tiles, etc.) or timber flooring (bamboo, etc.) to ensure that you’re getting your supplies from a sustainable resource.
5. Modify your cooling and heating methods. During the summer, you may be tempted to turn the A/C on full blast all day, which guzzles energy. A better move is to install a ceiling fan, which, in addition to looking stylish, circulates the air and keeps you cool. On the other hand, you can keep your living room warm in the colder seasons by improving the insulation in the walls and ceiling instead of cranking up the thermostat.
As you can see, you have a lot of options when it comes to changing the look and feel of your living room to become more environmentally conscious. Just be aware of the choices you make as far as redecorating is concerned and don’t be afraid to try out new designs: you might be surprised at how unique your living room can turn out to be.
Planning on renovating your bathroom anytime soon? Find out how you can save money by following this simple renovation tip.
Photo courtesy of GoGreenLiving.com.