Eco Living
11 Smart Ways to Go Greener Through Design
See how eco-friendly practices can be functional and beautiful in your home
You don’t have to live in a hippy hut or build a Green Star-standard 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 value, but it allows for you to save resources and money along the way. Often such changes connect you more to the world around you and add to the beauty of your home.
Check out these 11 suggestions for adjustments you can make in your own home that will add to its eco-intelligence, functionality and beauty.
Check out these 11 suggestions for adjustments you can make in your own home that will add to its eco-intelligence, functionality and beauty.
2. Add a skylight
Go beyond a simple window addition and consider how natural light from above will revolutionise your space. This room relies almost entirely on natural light, eliminating most of the need for electricity while bringing nature in.
Go beyond a simple window addition and consider how natural light from above will revolutionise your space. This room relies almost entirely on natural light, eliminating most of the need for electricity while bringing nature in.
3. Keep your set-up 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.
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.
4. Streamline your kitchen
Updating appliances looks good, lowers use of resources and saves money! In fact, renovating kitchen functionality makes for the greatest return on investment in a home. Not to mention, you can cook with more efficiency and joy when things are updated and organised.
Updating appliances looks good, lowers use of resources and saves money! In fact, renovating kitchen functionality makes for the greatest return on investment in a home. Not to mention, you can cook with more efficiency and joy when things are updated and organised.
5. 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.
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.
6. Enjoy multipurpose furniture
Designer Valerie Pasquiou, who I absolutely adore, considers how each piece contributes to an overall aesthetic. As shown here, in doing so she has created a kitchen and dining space in one. Using furniture for dual purposes eliminates the need for superfluous materials in your home.
Designer Valerie Pasquiou, who I absolutely adore, considers how each piece contributes to an overall aesthetic. As shown here, in doing so she has created a kitchen and dining space in one. Using furniture for dual purposes eliminates the need for superfluous materials in your home.
7. 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 wash, too. Throw them in the washing machine with an environmentally friendly whitening agent and your whites will look fresh for years.
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 wash, too. Throw them in the washing machine with an environmentally friendly whitening agent and your whites will look fresh for years.
8. 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.
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.
9. 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 whatever comes into your home. Fewer toys makes for less material impact on the environment and more creative play, as studies show.
If you have children, you know how hard it can be to keep things simple. Think of yourselves as the Buckingham Palace guards of whatever comes into your home. Fewer toys makes for less material impact on the environment and more creative play, as studies show.
10. 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, but they can still present themselves creatively in a space. It’s entertainment that can be reused over and over.
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, but they can still present themselves creatively in a space. It’s entertainment that can be reused over and over.
11. Lend from your library
If you simply can’t embrace e-readers and insist on the beauty of paper, consider turning your book collection into a lending library. Keep beloved books around, but allow friends to borrow them and log their name in a lending list.
YOUR TURN
Tell us how you’ve gone greener through design, and show us by uploading a high-resolution photo in the comments section below.
MORE
Greening Your Home: 10 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Workspace
Green Living: Create a Bedroom That’s Healthier for You and the Planet
Greening Your Home: The Best Natural Products to Clean Your House With
If you simply can’t embrace e-readers and insist on the beauty of paper, consider turning your book collection into a lending library. Keep beloved books around, but allow friends to borrow them and log their name in a lending list.
YOUR TURN
Tell us how you’ve gone greener through design, and show us by uploading a high-resolution photo in the comments section below.
MORE
Greening Your Home: 10 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Workspace
Green Living: Create a Bedroom That’s Healthier for You and the Planet
Greening Your Home: The Best Natural Products to Clean Your House With
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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).