Helen Cartwright, Negosentro | There are many decorating tips out there but not many are geared towards eco-friendlier homeowners. There are a lot of benefits to decorating your home with eco-friendly products. This includes everything from sleeping better to reducing your carbon foot print. Below are some hacks on how to decorate your home in an eco-friendly way.
Home Improvement
If you are able to, you could do some home improvement. There are businesses that will help give you funds to make your home more eco-friendly and energy efficient. If this is a route you’d like to take, some of the things you could do are listed below.
- Energy-efficient lighting
- Solar powered items
- Energy-efficient windows and doors
- Energy-efficient roofing
- Energy-efficient heating & AC
Buy Second-Hand
When buying second-hand items, not only can you find some real treasures, but you can also cut down your carbon foot-print because a whole new product doesn’t have to be made. You can find great items at places like thrift shops, Goodwill, and antique shops. These places sell countless things. You can get everything from picture frames, to wall art, to possible rare and collector’s items. The fact that these items are a fraction of the price that they are brand new means that you might be able to buy items that you’ve had your eye on for a while but haven’t been able to buy because the price. Just go to one of these shops and take a look around because you might be surprised at what you find!
Furniture Material
You want to make sure any of your wooden furniture is made from natural wood. Since wood is a renewable resource, it’s one of the best material to use. Make sure any furniture you buy has an FSC certified logo on it because this type of wood is harvested and made in eco-friendlier ways than other types of wood. With that being said, you could also get furniture that is made from recycled materials. You can either buy these pieces of furniture or make them at home using materials and items that you already have. By doing this, your carbon footprint will shrink because you aren’t contributing to more manufacturing.
Use Plants
Another great thing you can do is decorate your house with live plants. Not only are plants naturally beautiful, but they can also let off wonderful scents. In addition, live plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They can also absorb many toxins and other harmful chemicals. This will make you breath better because you won’t be inhaling anything harmful. You also won’t have to worry about buying air purifiers or anything like that because the plants purify your air for you. When choosing plants, make sure you get some that are children and pet safe. You don’t want either getting into a plant and ending up very sick.
Re-purpose Old Items
Something that could give some of your old items a new look is to re-purpose them. You could even do this to items you buy at thrift shops, Goodwill, or antique shops. Re-purposing is pretty much just using things you already have and using them for something else. This could be as simple as just repainting a picture frame to make it look different. On the other hand, you can use items and use them for a completely different purpose. This means you don’t have to buy brand new and that helps minimize your carbon footprint because it doesn’t need to be manufactured. Some of the things you could do in terms of re-purposing are listed below.
- Decorate an ordinary box and make it into storage.
- Use coffee cans as planters.
- Use jars as storage containers.
- Turn soda cans into wall art.
- Turn an entertainment center into a play kitchen or auto shop.
- Turn an old end table into an ottoman.
Natural Candles
Not only do candles smell great, they can give your house a warm and welcoming glow. With that being said, you want to make sure you get candles that are made with natural ingredients. A great choice for this would be soy candles since they don’t use any harmful chemicals. You want to make sure you read the ingredients of any candles you are thinking about purchasing. The reason for this is because traditional candles can contain a lot of bad ingredients. For example, paraffin wax releases a lot of the same toxins that diesel fuel does. There’s also the chance that burning the candles could cause you to get soot in your nose, which could lead to serious health conditions.
Items with Organic Materials
The final thing you can do to decorate your house in an eco-friendly manner is to make sure the majority of your products are made from organic or recycled materials. Not only will this ensure that you won’t get any harmful chemicals or toxins, but you will also be able to have items that can easily be absorbed back into the environment. They can also go back into the environment and be beneficial for it. Some of the things you could use are listed below.
- Rocks and bricks
- Natural wood
- Bamboo
- Hemp
- Plants and flowers
You could also use things you have to make other things such as beads to decorate candle sticks, use glass bottles as vases, or use bottle caps to decorate stuff.
These are just a few of the hacks you can employ to decorate your home in eco-friendly products and making everything more efficient. These should help you get started and have a home full of decorations you’re happy with! Not only do you not have to worry about what kind of carbon footprint you’re leaving, but you can enjoy your home without feeling guilty.
