Decorating is a wonderful way to personalise your living space and make your house a home. Now that sustainability in the home is just as important as comfort, why not combine these factors and create a stylish yet environmentally friendly space for you and your family? Sustainable style doesn't have to be boring, nor should it mean sacrificing a cosy, warm vibe. All it takes is a little creativity and thinking outside the box.
Choose wisely
Whether you’re selecting furniture, flooring or homewares, take time to get to know the history and process behind what you’re buying. Is it made from recycled materials? If not, was it created using sustainable fibres or materials? Moreover, was it made locally or imported from much further afield? Try to buy locally made where possible – not only does this support the local economy, it also means the carbon footprint of the product is considerably less than something that was air-freighted or shipped from overseas.
When you buy wool products for your home – be it homewares, bedding or flooring – you’re not only creating a cosy, soft environment, you’re also purchasing a product that is sustainable, ethically sourced and biodegradable.
Go natural
Natural fibres and textiles add texture and style to just about any décor theme. Layering with natural materials such as wool, hemp and stone can be an excellent way of achieving a fresh, modern look, using renewable resources. When you decorate with these materials, you can rest assured, knowing you have avoided using products that employ the use of chemicals or pesticides. Linen, cotton, wool, jute and bamboo are all eco-friendly materials which are used for all sorts of soft furnishings – from sofas and cushions to bedding and upholstery – not to mention they offer a chic, on-trend aesthetic.
Keep it pure
These days, purifying the air in your home, while maintaining a slick, modern aesthetic, is easy. Bring the outside in, with jungle-like indoor plants of all shapes and sizes. A variety of pots, baskets and shelves make the perfect home for indoor greenery, which adds a pop of colour to any room. As well as their Instagram-worthy appearance, indoor plants assist in reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released into the air by synthetic products in your home.
Another great VOC reducer is wool. The complex chemistry of wool fibre enables it to bind pollutant gases in your home, removing them from the air thus purifying it. Wool carpet also traps particulate air pollutants (dust) on the floor, ensuring it disappears for good once vacuumed up, making the air you breathe cleaner.
Shop second-hand
Buying pre-loved furniture is an excellent way of adding character and style to your home. From exotic-looking antique rugs to mid-century style furniture, second-hand pieces are easy to come by in charity stores, at garage sales and online. By purchasing second-hand, you're giving new life to something that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill.
Style makes a house a home, and nothing beats comfort when it comes to creating a living space you love. However, neither style nor comfort needs to be sacrificed to make your interior sustainable and environmentally-friendly. By embracing natural materials, biodegradable products and air-purifying fibres, your home can be stylish, comfortable and sustainable.
