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Environmentally Friendly Ways to Make Your Home More Stylish

Written by:
Ana Apostoloska
Photography:
Courtesy of TJ Simon / Gibbs Smith Books

People are open to making changes in their lives that help the environment. The interior of your home should be no exception. Any reluctance to focus the interior design around sustainability and the environment usually comes from a belief that this approach imposes rules that can obstruct good taste and style, or that it restricts creative vision. This doesn't have to be true. There are plenty of ways to design a home interior that considers the environment without compromising the expression of a unique and compelling style. The following are just a few examples of eco-friendly ways to style your home to use as inspiration.

Choose Timeless Pieces

Interior design fashion trends may be exciting in the moment. Still, a year or two later, you'll find yourself wondering how to get rid of all your rose gold and marble-effect furniture. Instead of following trends as they happen, observe and decide if any elements strike you as potentially timeless. Create interior spaces with items you believe are beautiful based on your own taste and not what current editions of interior design magazines might say. Timeless doesn't necessarily mean classic or traditional but rather authentic to your style. This will keep you from helping perpetuate wasted resources that fuel the ever-changing trends.

Go For Sustainable Materials

When looking for soft furnishings such as cushions, curtains, bedding, and rugs, consider the materials you want to use carefully. Environmentally sustainable fabrics will take the guilt out of shopping for these items. Look for eco friendly bed sheets to add style to your bedroom or locally sourced and locally-made carpets for your floors. You will notice that these high-quality materials add depth and subtle elegance to a space. You can still choose bold patterns and hues without harming the environment. For other home materials such as wood, concrete, stone, brick, or metal, make sure to research where it comes from and how it was manufactured. This will give you important insight into whether it was responsibly sourced.

Buy Secondhand or Learn to Repair

Buying new furniture is a quick method of losing money and a waste of valuable resources and energy. Instead of spending a chunk of your design budget on new furniture, take the time to search for secondhand pieces that have history and character as well as fit in with your design theme. Sparing the environment can be one of the most exciting ways to encourage bold design. If one of your most precious pieces of furniture becomes worn, stained, or broken, seize the opportunity to learn the skills required to repair it. You will create a space that is much more unique and filled with charm compared to one that consists only of brand-new pieces. You will also save money on the items that are more fun to spend on.

Making environmentally conscious choices for your home interiors is a great way to invest money into a good cause as well as create a home that looks and feels beautiful.


By Liliana Alvarez

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