Written by: Giulia Simolo
Gone are the days when décor was just about making your home look inviting and stylish. Nowadays a touch of green in the form of eco-friendliness is just as important so that your living space pays homage to your green lifestyle and looks after the environment. Here are some earth-friendly décor tips to splash on your home this spring.
Paint it green
Sure, the colour green is always trendy on walls but when it comes to eco-friendly design, what’s inside the paint is just as important as whether or not it matches your plush carpet. Versus Paint Specialists offer low-VOC coatings, which make them eco-friendly. The paints are also durable, cost-effective and less harmful to you and the environment than regular paints.
What you need to know: VOC stands for ‘volatile organic compounds.’ Such materials are bad for you because they contribute to the formation of particulate matter and ground-level ozone, two components that cause smog. In other words, they’re just not good for you to be breathing in. The benefit of using an eco-friendly paint alternative means that you give your home an instant makeover without causing any harm to your family’s wellbeing.
Block out the sun with bamboo
With our strong South African sun sometimes you need to protect your furnishings from the rays, and that’s where blinds come in. Installing an eco-friendly product is easy to find in the form of bamboo blinds. They look gorgeous and are sustainable. Decorland has some lovely blinds that are affordable and easy to use.
Vintage vogue
If you are eager to buy some new furniture, why not opt for second hand? Check out the internet, go to thrift stores or visit auctions. Often the items that are available are still in good condition and they will save you a penny or two. This is a great way to rework something old into a creative piece that brings together your design vision. With the vintage look being in fashion, an antique piece could be a great addition to your home.
Choose easy maintenance
Although a piece of furniture might look gorgeous, if it’s high maintenance when it comes to cleaning this will decrease its eco-friendly status. Just think of the drama if wine gets spilled on your gorgeous suede dining room chair that cost an arm and a leg, resulting in lots of cleaning products that might not even take the stain out. Not fun at all! When choosing new furniture, opt for easy-to-clean fabrics that will result in less chemical use to keep them spick and span. Eco-friendly décor is not just about practicality but also sustainability. You want furniture that will last longer than a few months instead of being thrown out, thus preventing the accumulation of waste and the purchasing of replacements.
Green is in the details
Let’s face it: sometimes revamping your living space costs money. So it helps if you can get away with re-using and recycling items as much as you can. Contrary to what some people think, recycling items doesn’t mean that the finished product will look cheap. With some creativity it could look very stylish.
Here are some ideas:
- Use an old jersey or blanket that you no longer want and transform it into a gorgeous “throw” for your couch that needs a bit of a makeover.
- Old shirts that are made of flannel or pure cotton could be turned into napkins or cleaning cloths.
- Glass bottles that you don’t need could become a fantastic centerpiece. Use them as vases for freshly picked flowers or put marbles or fruit inside them to provide a dash of colour.
- If you have some old boxes lying around, don’t throw them away. Cover them in material so that they become pretty storage spaces in your study or office.
The liveeco team
