Do you want to redecorate your rooms with accessories that are chic and good for the environment? Here are some helpful tips and inspiration for eco-friendly home decor ideas.
Eco-friendly home decor has been an upcoming trend. And these sustainable items are not only better for our earth, but also better for your health, especially for the children, as they come from non-toxic, natural, and often organic materials. Cheaply made home decoration products are often made with harsh chemicals in adhesives and paints, e.g formaldehyde. They release harmful odors and do harm to our respiratory system.
Many eco-friendly home decor items exude a sense of minimalism, so they’re always great choices for those who adore the minimalist-chic look. Eco-friendly home supplies can be found in many shops online or local shops in person. There are all sorts of sustainable furniture and decor on the market, so you will have many options to choose from.
If you have a passionate love for the earth and a nicely decorated home, please choose eco-friendly home decor supplies. If you’re still unsure what to get or you’re not feeling inspired, here is a list of the top eco-friendly décor for you.
1. Find home decor fabric of natural fibers
Decorating your home with fabric that is solely created with sustainable materials. The next time you need new curtains or pillowcases, look for textiles produced with natural and sustainable fibers. A few examples of sustainable fibers are wool, organic cotton, hemp, linen, or bamboo.
You could also find an eco-friendly area rug to bring your living room look together or add a pop of color. There is an array of eco-friendly rugs, like those woven with wool, jute, recycled polyester, or other organic materials.
2. Become a plant lover
Plants are the perfect type of eco-friendly home decor. Not only do plants look gorgeous with any style of interior, but they also convert CO2 into oxygen, which is great to have as a natural air purifier.
One to two plants per room is a great place to start if you’re new to houseplants. Once you learn how to take care of one or two plants, you can make your house even greener by bringing in more plants. Take your green eco-friendly décor up a notch with a beautiful colored pot or use an accent color the fits your room’s style.
Remember that not all plants are suitable for indoors. Therefore, search online or consult your plant pro, choose those indoor plants which can improve your health, learn the detailed care tips for your plants, and place the plants in a drafty area.
3. Find ways to save electricity
Use clean energy and energy-saving light bulbs for your lamps and light fixtures.
Solar energy is a great energy source, investment in solar panels will bring a great return. If you use power strip plugs, invest a little bit of money into the high-quality types and switch out your old ones. These power strips are more eco-friendly, and they allow you to switch off the strip when you don’t need it (which will also save you money!)
Be sure to turn out all of your lights and unplug the home appliance anytime you’re not using it.
Standby home appliance will charge power even it’s off, unplug all unused home electronics including unused mobile phone chargers. Not only will this save you tons of money on your energy bills, but you will also prevent wasting unnecessary energy.
Set your air conditioner no lower than 26℃ /78℉, water heater no higher than 60℃ /140℉.
This level will make you comfortable at home without unnecessary electricity waste. Don’t forget to unplug the air conditioner and water heater when you are not using them.
Let the most natural light in the home as much as possible.
Natural sunlight makes you happy and healthy, allows your clothes and shoes to dry fast, makes your home plants grow healthily. If your rooms can get 4-6 hours of sunshine every day, you will find that every day is fantastic.
More natural light in the home saves lighting energy and reduces your electricity bill. If you have a large window blocked by a couch, try moving the couch to a different area to let the sunlight in.
4. Revamp your current furniture or wall
Instead of buying all new decor or furniture items, find ways to recycle your old things and give them an entirely new look. You can personalize old furniture by purchasing eco-friendly paint (that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals), adding recycled knobs, or even painting over an old canvas. Not only is reusing old furniture more eco-friendly, but it also makes for fun projects and can save you hundreds of dollars. Who know being creative and savvy could be so sustainable?
5. Research to discover eco-friendly home décor retailers
If you’re stuck on trying to find eco-friendly home decor or furniture, try searching the internet to find brands you probably haven’t yet heard of. Type in something like ‘eco-friendly home decor’ or ‘eco-friendly living room decor, and you’re sure to find multiple unique options that sell one-of-a-kind products.
Sustainable product companies are not always easy to find, and many mainstream brands, unfortunately, do not offer many eco-friendly décor options. Don’t give up your search, though. You can check local marketplaces, join Facebook groups, and look at online markets (like Etsy) that are full of amazing homemade items.
6. Purchase all-natural furniture & decor items
If you decide to purchase new eco-friendly furniture or décor, keep your rooms as sustainable as possible. Avoid plastic and disposable products, such as plastic coffee tables, chairs, disposable tablecloths. Instead, search for beautiful tables and chairs made from natural wood and aren’t manufactured with harsh chemicals.
All-natural furniture not only looks chic and beautiful but they’re also created with quality in mind. They are timeless pieces that last season through season. Upfront, it may be more of an investment to buy all-natural products in comparison to cheaper, plasticky items. Still, you will save money, in the end, thanks to natural products’ impeccable quality.
7. Get ‘new’ decor at thrift stores
You need new decor doesn’t mean you need to buy never-used items. To get your new, unique, eco-friendly home decor pieces, especially some pieces of antique, you can find local garage sales or flea markets or join Facebook groups. Sometimes you may get surprises from these places.
Going shopping at presale stores can be a lot of fun, plus you’ll find unique one-of-a-kind pieces that you are not likely to find at Ikea or other common corporations.
Give your new purchases a makeover with new paint and you’ll fall in love with your thrifty decor.
8. Try to avoid carpets at all costs.
Carpets are manufactured with large amounts of water consumption, in addition to incredibly harsh chemicals that damage the earth and can contaminate our worlds’ water sources.
Carpets are not easy to clean and need maintenance all the time. As carpets are made of woven fibers, regardless of any material, gather dust and dust mites-a kind of common allergy trigger. You can only vacuum the dust on the surface. It’s impossible to clean the deeply embedded dirt and stains. If eco-friendly is your goal, carpet should not be on your decor list.
9. Install hardwood flooring.
If you need a new floor, try to find hardwood flooring that is made from real wood, not hardwood floors made from plastic materials. Natural wood floors are durable and easy to clean & maintain. Most importantly, hardwood floors are more sustainable and better for our environment than wall-to-wall carpets.
10. Use non-toxic cleaners to clean your living room.
Many well-known cleaning products consist of long lists of harsh chemicals that are not good for our earth, or for your health. Instead, use cleaners that are made from organic or naturally sourced ingredients. Or you can DIY some homemade cleaning solutions.
