At the basis of the art of interior design is our desire for living spaces that harmonize practicality and style. A room must look good and serve its function well. But there is a third consideration that has, in recent years, come to the forefront of discussions on interior design: what about the environment?
Fortunately, caring for the environment and designing comfortable and stylish interiors are not incompatible goals. Yes, interior decorating requires us to use up raw materials in the form of furniture, fixtures, appliances and fittings, and this has an inevitable impact on the environment somewhere down the consumption chain. But armed with some knowledge, it is easy to find eco-friendly (and stylish) alternatives to traditional interior design materials and appliances.
1. When repainting a room, use paints that don’t contain solvents. These eco-friendly paint brands are a healthier alternative to conventional paint because they don’t release environmentally harmful toxins and they prove as effective as regular paint.
2. When purchasing wood products (either for flooring or building structures) buy wood cut from local forests so that you don’t contribute to the carbon emissions caused by long-distance transportation. Look that the wood you buy has the FSC symbol on it. This stands for Forestry Stewardship Council, a non-profit organization that lets you know which wood companies are not contributing to global deforestation.
3. Install energy efficient lighting and electrical appliances. This has been one of the most popular green interior design trends along with the use of biodegradable products and building materials. Replacing old fluorescent light bulbs with new LED lights is a common green interior design practice. Look for energy-efficient refrigerators and other appliances.
4. Consider alternative to traditional wood furniture. Bamboo shelves and other such products are great for offices and other work spaces.
5. Recycle and use recycled glass and metal products. These two core materials are easy to recycle and they retain their quality despite going through the production cycle multiple times. Using recycled glass and metal products reduces the need for natural resources and saves on energy that would otherwise be needed to create the products from scratch.
