5 Environmentally-Friendly Designs You Should Consider
Most people falsely believe that being eco-minded while designing your home takes an incredible amount of effort, or even a sizable financial investment. This belief, however, isn’t necessarily true. Sure, buying furniture made of reclaimed wood can cost you a small fortune, yet, there are other ways to express your environmental friendliness through your design. With that in mind, here are five environmentally-friendly designs you should consider.
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Revamping your old furniture
A few years ago, when shabby chic became all the rage, people flocked towards their basements and attics in search for items they could once again put to use. On the other hand, shabby chic is not your only option, especially if you know a thing or two about furniture restoration. An antique is always appreciated and goes well with a plethora of different styles (not just vintage). With a bit of sandpaper, wood paint and a quality finish, you can achieve a lot. However, make sure to fasten the structure of the furniture piece before you put it to use.
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DIY projects
Even if you’re not reusing old items, making your own furniture simply has a lower carbon footprint than purchasing an accessory from a store. Still, if for some major pieces you don’t believe your carpentry skills are proficient enough, you should probably go for custom made furniture instead. Apart from making your home look unique, they are also individually made rather than industrially, which is, once again, a major victory for the environment. As for the accessories, you should definitely look for recyclable materials (old tin cans, etc.) before starting off with a project.
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The choice of wood matters
Another thing you need to carefully consider is the wood option used in the furniture piece that you’re purchasing. The choice of wood definitely matters, and the best guideline for making an adequate choice are the 10 FSC principles. Apart from focusing heavily on eco-friendliness, these rules are also concerned with the well-being of local economies and the socio-economic status of workers within the industry. Overall, going for a wood choice that’s in accordance with these 10 principles is definitely a responsible decision to make.
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Wallpaper instead of paint
The next thing you can do in order to save the environment is to go for wallpaper instead of paint. First of all, the environmental impact caused by this is a lot lower. Second, the wallpaper on average lasts three times longer than the paint, while, in some extreme circumstances, it can last up to 15 years. Finally, when you’re forced to take it off, you can simply recycle it in, though not in the same way as the ordinary paper. Sometimes, the paper you used is too polluted to be efficiently recycled but it can always be used to make table coasters or even greetings cards. Where there’s a will, there’s always a way.
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Thermal curtain
At the end of the day, making your home more energy-efficient is eco-friendly on its own. Actually, by using a well-chosen thermal curtain, you get to boost your home’s heat output loss and add more fabric to your design. So, while a quality thermal curtain may not be that cheap to come by, it can easily pay itself off in the long-run. Furthermore, by going with a floor-to-ceiling curtain, you have a much easier job at going monochromatic, seeing as how you’re giving your curtain a chance to become a dominant feature within the room.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, each of these environmentally-friendly designs is a powerful asset from a visual standpoint as well. Not just as a money- or planet-saving method. Aside from this, it also gives you a chance to fully express your creativity by giving you some restrictions to work around.
