Sustainable design practices, whether in food production, clothing production, or interior design are more than just trends – they are here to stay as people become more aware of the modern world’s impact on our environment. The interior design world has begun embracing sustainable design practices in an attempt to popularize eco-friendly materials and promote materials that are sourced and manufactured in environmentally-friendly ways.
Eco-insulation
Eco-insulation results in an airtight home that doesn’t require as much heating to keep it warm, or as much air conditioning to cool it off. Celebrity designer Kevin McCloud set out to create a village of eco-homes and even created a company called Happiness Architecture Beauty with the goal of “building houses that make people happy”. For people whose homes aren’t well-insulated, recycled plastic insulation or natural sheeps wool are two possible solutions that can keep your energy usage down during the colder months.
Georgina Gibson
Sustainable interior designer Georgina Gibson specializes in creating beautiful homes while using sustainable materials such as wood flooring from sustainable, ethical sources, natural stone and recycled materials when possible. She also consults with energy experts in order to ensure that each home she designs is as energy efficient as possible, whether through LED lighting, sun pipes, or aerated shower heads. Energy usage within the home is a significant contributor to climate change and Georgina aims to minimize each home’s impact on the environment.
Natural paints
Whether you want bright, bold colours or more neutral, muted tones, people are now paying more attention to the type of paint they purchase. Solvent-based paints are detrimental to the environment, while natural paints are better for your health and for the environment, not to mention they last as long as solvent-based paints. The only difference is that natural paints may take a bit longer to dry.
Oliver Heath
Heath Design was created by designer and writer Oliver Heath with the goal of taking a sustainable approach to both architecture and interior design. Oliver and his team understand that beautiful, sustainable decor can reduce wasteful use of resources such as gas, water and electricity and they strive to use recycled, sustainably sourced materials whenever possible.
