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One of the first steps to living mindfully is reducing your ecological impact in your own home. Partially inspired by our pop up event at sustainable home mecca TreeHouse Dallas earlier in July, sustainability has been on our minds lately- specifically ways to style and design your home in efficiently. Designing a sustainable home can seem like a daunting task, however there are a range of products and design tools available that will reduce your ecological footprint in no time.
1. Design Using Smart Materials
When planning your home, there are numerous chic and sustainable materials that bring beauty into a home sustainably. For flooring, using materials such as EcoTimber, cork, or bamboo looks amazing. Spruce up your kitchen with a number of tiling options, such as handmade Fireclay tile. Additionally, you won't believe how similar using recycled glass looks instead of granite for countertops. We are in love with all the incredible options for home innovation that TreeHouse provides, found here.
2. Get Bamboozled
As mentioned above, bamboo is a great option for sustainable sourced materials due to it's rapid growth, making it one of the most sustainable materials in the world. Utilize bamboo in all sorts of ways, from stylish shelves and lamps to bamboo window shades.
3. Update your Walls
Revamp your walls with eco-friendly paints. Found in a variety of colors, eco friendly paints are free of VOC's (volatile organic compounds) that harm the environment and are found in your standard painting materials. Try all-natural milk paints, which are free of VOC's and petroleum.
4. Embrace a Green Thumb
Save money and find a new hobby by creating a home garden. Start small by planting some simple herbs or go all out with your favorite seasonal veggies. Adding indoor plants as well is a great way to purify air and create a greener everyday environment.
5. Clean Green
A super simple way to immediately reduce environmental impact is to switch out household cleaning products for green products. "Clean" cleaning products are becoming increasingly available, as name brand materials are often filled with harmful chemicals bad for personal health and the surrounding environment. Some of our chic favorites include The Aromatherapy Co, Mrs. Meyers, and The Laundress.
6. Brighten Up a Room
Lighting your home shouldn't have to create a large energy strain. Installing light dimmers, motion-sensored lights, and replacing lightbulbs to LED are just a few ways you can reduce your electricity bill. Additionally, designing spaces with skylights is both beautiful and efficient. There are also numerous sustainable light fixtures (check out our chic faves here and here) available that will brighten your home whilst maintaining a stylish look.
7. Native Landscaping
Landscaping using local plants is the most sustainable way to beautify your outdoor space and maximize ecological efficiency. Since plants area already local to environmental conditions, they create a dynamic landscape that changes with the seasons and does not require extra water or damaging fertilizers.
8. Ethical Sourcing
We are firm believers that buying ethically sourced products should go beyond our clothing pieces! Reclaimed wood, recycled materials, and artisan partnerships are a few buzzwords you can look for when shopping for home decor. Symbology has some great prints available in home decor found here. Additionally, even larger stores like West Elm and Ten Thousand Villages partner with artisans and focus on ethical sourcing for products, so shop away!
