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You may have noticed over the past few years a considerable shift in consumer habits towards a more eco-conscious mindset. This has extended to housing especially – with homeowners, renters and investors alike favouring properties that encompass sustainable design features.
Property investment companies have been keen to capitalise on this wave of eco-investment. Eco-investing is where investors seek out companies with housing developments that have been built with sustainability in mind through the use of environmentally friendly materials and low carbon technologies such as solar panels.
Whilst some people may have it in mind sustainable features such as these are out of their price range, there are simple yet effective steps to incorporate sustainable design elements into your home whilst staying cost-efficient!
Sustainable design is officially defined as seeking to improve the health and comfortability of occupants in a building through invoking environmentally friendly principles. There’s no easier way to do this than thinking about the items in your home.
Focusing on the interior design of your home is an excellent way to get creative with eco-friendly products – allowing you to enhance your home environment without harming the natural one! This could be through buying items that focus on organic features, are built to last, save energy and use less water, for example.
Below are five eco-conscious interior design ideas for your home that will not only be visually satisfying but could allow you to make a real difference to the planet.
Smart Lighting
First and foremost, LED light bulbs are a must-have for any environmentally friendly home: they last up to 25 times longer than a normal lightbulb and typically require 90% less energy too.
With a whole array of fashionable light units to utilise – from wall lamps to chandeliers – there has never been an easier way to keep your home environmentally friendly whilst remaining stylish and on-trend.
In addition, moving to light switches with dimmable controls and timers has been highlighted as a must-have for new homes. This has been particularly important for eco-investors too, for example, who are drawn to companies where properties employ fixtures like these to help save their tenants thousands on energy bills and tonnes of wasted energy.
With the advancement of such lighting controls now extending to WiFi-enabled light switches that can let you set specific preferences, there is a great deal to be gained from installing smart lighting systems in your home.
Antique Furniture
Going second-hand is always going to be beneficial for the environment – and there is no better way to do this than by seeking out furniture at antique markets or second-hand shops.
The use of antiques can give your home a warm, cosy feeling whilst expressing your individuality as an alternative to generic IKEA flat packs – each piece also has its own unique story!
Additionally, antique furniture is much more likely to be of a higher quality that will last a much longer time – making conscious consumptive habits like these allows you to buy less but buy better – which is at the heart of sustainability.
Wood-crafted furniture will also give your home a luxurious edge – and wood types such as mahogany, bamboo, oak, maple and pine all offer a renewable, environmentally-friendly design pattern.
Eco-friendly Materials
Being mindful of the fabric and material compositions of your household items is an important step to a more sustainable home. Whilst you may not think twice about the essentials that make a house a home, being more environmentally conscious is a good opportunity to get creative with your décor!
Recycled rugs, for example, offer a chance to cook up a quirky colour scheme for your home through their repurposing of textiles such as old, donated clothes.
This can equally extend to the bedroom, too – changing your bed linens to sustainable sheets can maintain comfort and style whilst being environmentally friendly. Eco-bedding can include duvets that are tested for over 350 toxic fibres to ensure the materials used are non-toxic.
Additionally, eco-friendly materials such as flannel, hemp, linen and organic cotton can be used
for your sheets, blankets and cushions. This not only helps the planet but provides a stylish, fashionable alternative for your home due to the interesting textures and unique colour palettes that are found in such fabrics.
Plants, Plants, Plants!
There’s nothing more appealing to the eye than a house filled with plants – basking in the luscious greenery all year round and exploring the many different types provides you with an endless array of options for decorating your home.
Yet, just as they are visually rewarding, they also provide a whole host of environmental benefits too. Snake plants, for example, are noted for filtering indoor air and removing toxic pollutants such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which are emitted from certain paints and other household products.
Their ability to purify the air makes them a much more cost-efficient and straightforward method as opposed to installing heat pumps that may be out of people’s price range, for example. The variety of plant types and sizes means you can customise your set-up to how you see fit, too, which makes it a great innovative pursuit!
Window Coverings
Whilst curtains and shades offer a highly diverse range of choices to decorate your home with all the colours, textures, patterns and designs to choose from, they are also a chance to be environmentally friendly.
It is estimated that around 35% of heat will escape through the walls and gaps in and around your windows – meaning window coverings can save on energy and create a more sustainable home.
It is also worth noting that eco-friendly, high-quality materials such as bamboo look great when used as blinds and will blend in seamlessly with your home’s interior décor!