10 Ways to Go Greener Through Design
See How Functional (and Beautiful) Eco-Friendly Practices Can Be
You don't have to live in a hippy hut or build a LEED-certified house to go greener. While larger choices can make larger improvements on your environmental impact, seemingly smaller changes can make a difference. Not only does "greening" your home add to its overall value, but it allows for you to save resources and money along the way. And often such changes connect you more to the world around you, and add to the beauty of your home.
Check out these 10 suggestions for adjustments you can make in your own home that will add to its eco-intelligence, functionality and beauty.
Check out these 10 suggestions for adjustments you can make in your own home that will add to its eco-intelligence, functionality and beauty.
Add a window. The addition of one simple window can be completed for relatively little hassle and cost. Look to the rooms that get the highest usage, and consider what natural light will do for the space (and your electricity bill).
Add a skylight. Go beyond a simple window addition and consider how natural light from above will revolutionize your space. This room relies almost entirely on natural light, eliminating most need for electricity while bringing nature in.
Keep your setup simple. Less is usually more, is it not? Take this living room, which uses a generous amount of quiet space to balance the furniture arrangement. The furniture is simple and elegant. The amount of dust and allergens is minimal.
Streamline your kitchen. Updating appliances looks good, lowers use of resources and saves money! In fact, renovating kitchen functionality makes for the greatest return of investment in a home. Not to mention that you can cook with more efficiency and joy when things are updated and organized.
Embrace repurposed wood. While this table is a beautiful single piece, it does show the beauty in a large slab of wood to balance a room's look. Repurposed wood of excellent quality can be found through several resources, and can become any part of a house, from a bookshelf to complete flooring.
Enjoy multipurpose furniture. Valerie Pasquiou, who I absolutely adore, considers how each piece contributes to an overall aesthetic. And in the process, she has created a kitchen and dining space in one. Using furniture for dual purposes eliminates the need for superfluous materials in your home.
Go with white and light. Light linens in the bedroom not only reflect light and reduce the need for anything more than natural light in the day, they are simple to launder, too. Throw them in with the biodegradable Mrs. Stewart's liquid bluing and your whites will look fresh for years.
Rethink your flooring. This beautiful floor is an example of a gloss concrete that can make your home run more efficiently. Cooling in the summer, and available to provide sub-surface heating that rises in the winter, concrete is something to seriously consider.
Streamline the toys. If you have children, you know how hard it can be to keep things simple. Think of yourselves as the Buckingham Palace guards of what comes into your home. Less toys makes for more creative play, studies show.
Create a sustainable play area. Whether for your children or simply your dinner party friends, create a space that is fun but also reusable. Chalkboard walls have been done often, granted, but they can still present themselves creatively in a space. Go for entertainment that can be reused over and over.
Lend from your library. If you simply can't embrace the e-readers and insist on the beauty of paper, consider turning your library into a lending library. Keep the beloved books around, but allow friends to borrow and log their name into a lending book.
Next: Browse more home design photos
Next: Browse more home design photos