Today’s consumers are environmentally conscious. They want to ensure their decisions will not harm the environment and the future that we are all striving towards.
This filters through to interior decorating, from furniture choices and lighting options to paint.
So, with rising global environmental issues and increased awareness of how our choices impact the world around us, how can you as a consumer be mindful of the environment when decorating your homes?
1. Heating and light
When considering heating and light options, it all comes down to designing for energy efficiency. When you consider that energy consumption is one of the major contributors to climate change, there’s a lot we can do, even as individuals, to help combat this issue.
Generally speaking, this means ensuring windows provide good insulation and are covered effectively. Most of a building’s heat will escape via the windows so ensuring you’re choosing appropriate window coverings is key.
Additionally, carpets are excellent when it comes to insulating a home. Carpets actually retain almost 10% of a room’s heat so having some carpets through the house or even some rugs in the bigger areas will help a lot.
Finally, lighting choices can make a big difference when it comes to sustainability. On a small scale, swap out your traditional globes for LED lighting. Choosing paint colours carefully will also assist with this as lighter colours will reflect more light, meaning you may not need as much artificial light as originally thought.
2. The green touch
Using real greenery freshens up any space, from vertical green walls to herbed terraces.
Indoor air pollutants are ranked within the top five environmental risks to health and your home may be just as bad as a NASA spaceship. Luckily for you though, indoor plants are the answer.
Adding potted plants to a room helps reduce the air pollutant simply by absorbing the particles for us, and then converting it all into oxygen. Winning!
3. Think of the furniture
Whether it’s sustainably-sourced furniture or recycling some old odds and ends, choosing to upcycle your pieces when redecorating is a fantastic way to save the environment.
Chances are, if you’ve invested in some good quality pieces, the furniture will still be in pretty good nick. So why go out and buy everything new? Sometimes a coat of paint, reupholstering or some little hacks can go a long way to making things look spick and span.
If you can’t upcycle, find furniture that is made using sustainable materials. You can even get furniture that is made from 100% recycled materials which is a win in the environmental handbook.
Keep in mind that people are favouring one-of-a-kind pieces and are shunning mass-produced furniture. Generally speaking, these unique pieces are more inclined to be produced using environmentally-conscious materials.
4. Furnish the windows
A home loses a lot of heat through windows, even when they’re closed. This makes it a lot less energy-efficient and a lot less environmentally-friendly. So it may be time to consider the window coverings.
Also to keep in mind is the uptake of sustainable fabrics. As Ryan Mansour mentioned previously, this year, sustainable and natural fabrics are going to be embraced more than ever before. Not only are they better for the environment but they also achieve a level of imperfection that people are searching for.
Society is becoming increasingly aware of the impact we’re having on the environment. But there are some simple things consumers can do to ensure their individual homes are environmentally-friendly.
While it may seem like a small step, if everyone contributes in their own way, we really can change the future.
