GREEN TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN FURNISHING A ROOM: - Go minimal
Try to cut back on the furniture items you buy. Only get the necessities.
- Quality counts
A higher quality piece will have a higher initial cost, but you will not want to upgrade or redecorate as soon because of the investment you made. Quality workmanship will cut down on repairs and breaks. A great rule of thumb is to pick a timeless piece of furniture and then accessorize with trendy items. - Use reclaimed materials
Help cut down on deforestation by using reclaimed wood items that were made from old furniture, flooring, and buildings. These purchases will also guarantee a one-of-a-kind item without harvesting a single tree. - Remember sustainable materials
Consider materials like bamboo, Kirei board, cork, hemp, organic cotton, and organic wool. Look for FSC or Rainforest Alliance certification to verify a product’s sustainability. - Repurpose the old into new
Fall back in love with your old furniture. Instead of throwing it out, have it reupholstered. Vintage options are available in all price ranges, from antiques to “Craigslist” gems. A new slip cover or coat of eco-preferable paint could make all the difference!
| | Eco-friendly Home Furnishings & Finishes With eco-friendly materials replacing things from laundry detergents to shampoos currently on the shelves, it’s no surprise that we are seeing a surge in green home design. Green home design includes not only new eco-friendly furnishings and finishes, but also means reusing materials. An ideal green design features the use of long-lasting, non-toxic, and sometimes re-used materials. People often think about the air quality outside, but many neglect to consider the air quality in their own home! Many popular decorating products currently on the market are made with dangerous chemicals that can release a toxic gas into your home. With that said, it is important to keep the following green tips in mind: - If you walk into a room and notice a new-paint smell, you’re breathing in VOCs. Paints, stains, sealants, caulks, and adhesives release the highest levels of VOCs when wet. But even when they feel dry to the touch, they may keep releasing these gases for days, weeks, months, or even years. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds and include health hazards such as toxic solvents and formaldehyde. They also contribute to ground-level ozone pollution. The good news is most major paint companies are now offering at least one low-VOC paint. This paint is usually a water-based latex, and a few companies now offer a full line of zero-VOC paints. Water-based sealants, stains, and floor-finishing products are also becoming more available.
- Recycled-content products are now available for everything from paint and concrete to lumber. Specifically look for recycled-content percentages and high post-consumer content. Popular recycled materials such as glass and concrete are now available for durable countertops, backsplashes, shower surrounds, walls and floors.
- Furnishings are some of the biggest home investments we make and they stay with us longer than most realize. That is exactly why we should choose green materials. Not only are eco-preferable choices in home furnishings better for the environment, but they are also better for your health. We are sitting, sleeping, and eating on these surfaces every day, so what they are made of, and possibly releasing into the air, should be an essential concern.
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