3 Eco-Friendly Interior Design Ideas

For many people, finding new and effective ways to live an eco-friendly lifestyle is of the utmost importance. With issues surrounding global warming and energy efficiency on the news and in everyday conversation, living a greener life is becoming an ambition for more and more people across the world each year. Eco-chic is something many professional designers now positively promote within their work, so going environmentally friendly need not mean that you compromise on style.

1. Re-use, Recycle or Up-cycle

Before embarking on a radical new design for your chosen room, look at what does work already. If you have cabinets that do a perfectly good job, there is no need to rip them out simply to put up something similar in their place. Remove them, refresh them with a coat or two of paint that compliments your new color scheme and re-install them in a novel arrangement.

Up-cycling may be a trendy new word, but it isn't a trendy new practice. We humans have long been adherents to the depression era saying of 'use it up, where it out, make it do or do without!' If your furniture has good 'bones' consider a new layer of paint or new upholstery. A new look doesn't mean you have to actually buy all new everything. It's better for the environment if you don't!

2. Sustainable Furniture 

If you do decide to go new, consider reclaimed wood, bamboo or other eco-friendly materials. Looks wise, sustainable furniture spans everything from big, chunky pieces to sleek, contemporary designs. If you live a larger area like the DFW metroplex, you can find local artisans and craftspeople who will build what you want, from the material you want, making your eco-friendly piece something you can love through your lifetime.

3. Sustainable Flooring 

Some flooring materials just aren't very environmentally-friendly. Flooring manufacturers are stepping up to meet the sustainability challenge and we are now seeing a vast array of eco-friendly flooring products on the market. Bamboo and cork are some of the better flooring choices. Flooring made of anything that lasts a long time, can be reused and is rapidly renewable will not harm the environment as much as something that will sit in a landfill for hundreds and thousands of years.

When moving toward a more eco-friendly interior design, the important thing is to do your homework and work with a reputable interior designer.