Harmonizing Home: Elevating Everyday Spaces with Sustainable Interior Design
Trends come and go, but sustainability is in a league of its own, positioning itself as the standard for interior design. While the idea of sustainable style may sometimes be seen as limiting, the truth is that you don’t have to compromise your aesthetic needs to stay in harmony with your eco-conscious principles.
With the right guidance, you can create a space that’s not only chic and elevated, but also aligned with your responsibility to the planet.
In this article, we tackle why embracing sustainable style is a wise choice, and share some tips on incorporating your home with eco-conscious touches.
Why Incorporate Sustainable Interior Design?
Designing an eco-conscious space isn’t merely a way to stay on-trend; it carries a more significant purpose. With growing concerns about the depletion of non-renewable resources, it becomes increasingly crucial to make eco-conscious choices where you can. By doing so, you can contribute to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while preserving resources for generations to come.
From a practical perspective, going green with your interiors can also lead to cost savings. Low-flow showerheads, for example, can save you about 2,900 gallons of water each year, translating to significantly lower water bills.
Another favorite Dermatologist-recommended showerhead by Canopy given the Bazaar beauty icon award is the easy-to-install filtered showerhead designed to filter chlorine, heavy metals, and other contaminants, providing clean water that supports healthy skin and hair.
Additionally, for those engaged in real estate investing, adopting sustainability opens doors to a specific market of renters who value eco-friendly living.
By choosing to be sustainable, you can gain a unique advantage over your competitors and position yourself as the ideal choice.
How to Give Your Home a Sustainable Upgrade
Infuse a sustainable touch into your interiors with these green interior design ideas:
Choose Items Crafted from Eco-Friendly Materials
From furniture to flooring, opt for materials with the least environmental impact across their entire life cycle—from how they’re sourced to how they’re disposed of. These low-impact options are ideally made of renewable materials with a rapid growth rate, and free from any toxic chemicals.
Explore popular options like reclaimed wood, bamboo, and cork, which can enhance the appeal of any space with minimal impact on the planet.
Find New Ways to Use Existing Items
Sustainability involves embracing a low-waste lifestyle, or a preference for repurposing items rather than throwing them away.
By breathing new life into old belongings, you prevent landfills from being congested with items that would otherwise leach chemicals into waterways.
Rather than buying brand-new items, find ways to incorporate old furniture, decor, and fixtures into your space. You can easily give existing items a facelift by making minor modifications, such as reupholstering dated dining chairs and updating drawers with new hardware.
Invest in Long-Lasting Home Furniture and Finishes
Rather than seeking short-term savings through low-quality dupes, opt for items crafted from premium materials. From hardwood floors to stainless steel appliances, quality products are designed for a lifetime of use, sparing landfills from excess waste.
Although they may entail a higher initial investment, high-quality items eliminate the need for frequent replacements. Most of them require only minor repairs over the years, making them a more cost-effective choice in the long run. Plus, premium options give your home a luxurious look that low-cost options can never replicate. Buy once, buy right!
Integrate Energy-Efficient Strategies Throughout Your Home
A key feature of sustainable interiors is energy-efficient design—the practice of minimizing your home’s use of electricity.
This can be achieved in various ways, such as painting your walls in light colors to decrease reliance on artificial light. Switching to Energy Star-rated appliances can also lead to reductions in electricity costs while giving your home a modern upgrade.
If you need additional space (maybe you’re thinking about building a tiny home in your backyard), consider placing energy-efficient ADUs instead of constructing from scratch.
These units are equipped with energy-saving features such as solar panels, allowing you to reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a greener future.
Think Twice About Trends
While the most sustainable practice would be to curate a timeless home, the reality is that people often seek to refresh their spaces in line with evolving tastes and trends. The bad news? Trends tend to be unsustainable. However, this doesn’t mean you should commit to the same style for the rest of your life.
As you design with sustainability in mind, take a moment to think about trends before embracing them. If a particular style doesn’t reflect your personality, there’s no need to incorporate it into your space. Rather than adopting trends you’ll likely grow out of, why not incorporate only select elements of that style into your property?
Explore the idea of maintaining a classic feel across the main elements of your home, such as walls and floors. Doing so will allow you to seamlessly introduce trendier items in the future—such as floor lamps that add personality—without compromising your eco-conscious commitments.
