Some Thoughts on Eco-friendly Design
Conscious, Thrifty & Sustainable Design Matters More:
When we decorate sustainably, we are being kind to our planet.
Choosing recycled glass tile or renewable bamboo greatly reduces the environmental impact of energy consumption, natural resource depletion and pollution that results from traditional manufacturing processes. Buy a reclaimed wood door instead of a new mahogany one. Cover a chair seat with a natural fabric like linen or hemp cloth to avoid the chemicals used in synthetic materials.
When we decorate in a thrifty way, we are being kind to our budgets.
There’s always something that we need to pay for, whether it’s the mortgage or the car insurance or the trip to visit relatives. Thrifty furnishings help to keep our budgets balanced and available for life’s other expenses. While shopping for decor, consider how an item could be repurposed later on, thereby extending its life and saving some cash. Gather vintage, one-of-a-kind pieces that highlight your personal style in a unique way without breaking the bank.
When we decorate consciously, we are being kind to ourselves.
When we make choices that are sensitive to the materials used to create something, we are being kind to our physical well-being. Using classic linoleum on the floor is a conscious decision to avoid the volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) that vinyl flooring releases into the air. Buying a sofa made of hardwood instead of particleboard reduces exposure to formaldehyde, a carcinogen in the glue that’s used in manufactured wood products.
Designing your home consciously is one of the most potent acts of kindness you will ever do for yourself, your bank account and the Earth.
Here are a few ways you can do this.
Upcycling and Repurposing Are Beautiful:
It’s much better for the planet to repurpose something you already have, instead of always buying new. You can ‘shop’ in your own home, moving pieces from one room into another for a fresh look, therefore repurposing an item to extend its life. Another way to repurpose is to have a furniture swap with a group of friends.
Upcycling is the process of turning an object into something else entirely. It’s akin to repurposing, but instead of simply placing something in a different spot, upcycling involves crafting a “new” item. You can make an old pallet into a coffee table, or you can make a desk out of an old door and two sawhorses. This creative way of lateral thinking can save money on almost any design project.
Second Hand Is Beautiful:
I believe that if a piece of furniture fulfills your requirements, then we buy that beautiful old dresser for $35 and place it in your home.
Maybe we don’t even refinish it.
There’s a stigma in some circles that buying thrift is dirty and shameful. It certainly can be dirty and dusty, but it’s time to lift the old shame of buying at Goodwill or Savers. While shopping second hand almost always yields a unique item, it also keeps things out of dumpsters and landfills. And when a room is decorated in a fabulous way, who really cares where the pieces came from?
Green Is Beautiful:
We all know how factories belch out grime and toxins into our air, and how shipping by any means causes even more pollution. How can we make a dent in this situation? Seek out green companies and recycled materials. West Elm, Joybird, Inmod and Lee Industries, to name a few, offer eco-friendly furnishing lines. Or hit sites like Ebay or Chairish to order second hand items that are still perfectly useful and one-of-a-kind.
If you want to go green when buying new furniture, aim to buy pieces made from FSC Certified wood. Deforestation of the world’s primary forests could wipe out these precious resources within a decade. The Forestry Stewardship Council, a non-profit organization, has determined strict standards for environmentally conscious and socially beneficial forestry practices. Wood that comes from these forests is marked with the FSC seal of approval. You can find it on furniture that’s made from sustainably harvested forests.
A fresh coat of paint is the least expensive way to transform a room. But surrounding yourself with VOC’s isn’t the healthiest idea. Off-gassing from products that contain volatile organic compounds accounts for increased risk of asthma and other respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness, and even kidney and liver diseases. Why bring these illnesses into your home? Lots of paint companies, like Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and Behr, now offer low-VOC formulas. The non-profit organization Green Seal certifies products that are environmentally responsible, including paint. Look for their Standard GS-11 rating of 50/g L or lower for interior flat paints.
Custom Made from Indy Artists is Beautiful:
Ordering a handmade item directly from the person who made it not only adds a unique piece to a room, it also supports the artists and crafters so they can keep making their art. As well as being green and sustainable, buying fairly traded crafts is being kind to our fellow human beings.
We can help support these artists very easily today because handmade items are available through many vendors, like Fair Trade Decor, Ten Thousand Villages, Fair Trade Winds, Serrv, UNICEF. And incorporating them into a decorating project makes a room more personal. You can discover the story of the artist, like maybe he lives in Otavalo, Ecuador and weaves Alpaca blankets from a room packed full of brightly colored skeins of yarn, sharing a house with three generations of family.
A handmade treasure that you bought on a trip can keep a fond memory alive, with a story to tell about the time you went to Italy and saw these painters along the Arno River in Florence making these tiny watercolors, and they were so beautiful, and the day was so magical, and now you get to have that feeling at home whenever you look at that little painting on your wall.
