If you’re feeling stuffy and stagnant in your home because of old décor, it’s time to renew your house and yourself. There’s no better way to join the green movement than by redecorating with some sustainable and eco-friendly options. Decorating your home with these green tips will once more prove that eco-friendly and budget-friendly choices almost always go hand in hand.
When deciding how to be green while decorating, stick to the age-old 3 Rs to guide you: reduce, reuse, and recycle. These don’t just apply to how you dispose of trash. Let’s start with recycling and reusing. To renew your couch’s appearance, you don’t need more than a new slipcover or reupholstering if it’s in your budget. You don’t need to get rid of your furniture, just give it a make over. When buying a slipcover or new fabric, consider using renewable material like bamboo. It’s soft, plush, and will have everyone wanting to cuddle up on the “new” furniture.
Also consider reusing other pieces of furniture and making them into something new. An old bookshelf can be sanded down and repainted for a whole new look, as could a coffee table or end table. You could even make a new cabinet by installing shutters or doors on the front to completely change an old bookshelf. Use rocks or broken pieces of glass to turn your end tables into mosaic masterpieces.
Reduce your décor’s carbon footprint by finding furniture and new pieces from locally sourced stores. A great choice is a your local thrift store but also look on Craigslist and even sites like Etsy to find things that were manufactured nearby. The less your furniture has to travel to reach you, the less waste you’ll produce while redecorating. Also look around your house to find items that you can reinvent using old magazines, old scrapbook materials, yarn, and old photographs. You could make a magazine holder, a trash can, or a bookshelf completely unique with a little Modge Podge and materials you already have lying around the house.
Reduce your house’s job of heating and cooling by replacing your current window treatments with more sustainable versions. Heavier fabrics will both block sunlight and absorb heat to keep your house at a reasonable temperature without your home’s heating and cooling systems having to kick in. A timeless and always-in-style option would be Venetian blinds. They’re great to keep hot sunlight out of your house during the day and to keep in heat at night. They’re available in all kinds of fabrics, including sustainable options and they don’t cost much.
Literally “green” your house and fill empty, uninspired corners with houseplants. They come in all maintenance levels and will improve your house’s air quality naturally. They also give you endless ways to reinvent the different spaces in your house for little cost and with the extra oxygen, you and the family will feel more refreshed when at home.
Redecorating doesn’t mean spending your savings buying new and trendy pieces. It’s your space so make it exactly what you want. Have fun greening your home’s style!
You must log in to post a comment.