More and more people are interested in leading a more sustainable lifestyle, and this is great news for our planet. Obviously, we cannot ignore the fact that the modern lifestyle is going to destroy nature if nothing is changed, so making our interiors more sustainable is something we should all do. Here, we will give a brief guide through five things you can do in order to achieve this.
Insulate Your Home in the Proper Way
By making sure your home is well-insulated, you will do your bit to minimize energy consumption when it comes to heating and cooling down your home, and this is one of the goals of creating more sustainable interiors. Also, it is very important that you make sure to use recycled insulation materials, such as cellulose insulation or recycled cotton insulation.
Restrict Your Water Consumption
Another thing you should definitely do is keep a close eye on your water consumption. Many people decide to install a gray water system, which uses water from bathing, showering, brushing teeth, and the laundry machine for flushing toilets and watering the garden. Aside from this, replacing your regular shower heads with low-flow shower heads will also save a lot of water, and you should generally keep in mind that water should be used moderately, just like electricity.
Sustainable Materials for Interior Design
Instead of designing your home interior off the top of your head, you should rather think about it some more and try to use sustainable materials. These materials include cork, felt, bamboo, hemp, strawboard, and so on. For example, bamboo floors are a great solution; felt can be used for upholstery around the house; chairs and other pieces of furniture can be made from strawboard; and cork can be used for many different purposes, from cork boards to floor mats.
Go Antique Hunting
Naturally, the essence of a sustainable way of life is not buying everything new, because this basically uses all new materials, and this eventually takes its toll on the environment. Therefore, instead of renewing your furniture and buying everything new, why not try to complement it by adding antique pieces of furniture to your home interior? This is not only good for the environment, but it also brings a hint of style and glamour to the place.
Do It Yourself and Don’t Waste Money on All New Stuff
The ultimate goal of sustainable living is that you should use and reuse everything. So, this is where your DIY skills will be much appreciated. What this means is that you are advised to fix the things around your house rather than throw them out and buy new ones. This is actually even better than antique shopping, as fixing things and using them for a long time will have a very positive effect on your budget.
Chris has been working as a interior designer for over 4 years specialising in French provincial interior design. Chris is also an active blogger and regular contributor to leading design and decorating blogs.
5 Things To Make Your Interiors More Sustainable
