Design and Furnish, Splendid Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Living Room

It’s encouraging to discover the number of green homes in our country growing! More consumers are aware of the importance of a green home and will even build an environmentally friendly house from scratch. While it may be overwhelming to renovate or build an entire house into an Eco-Friendly home, I suggest starting with one room at a time. Like the living room! It’s a hard-working hub where the whole family gathers together often.

Here are some ideas to generate the perfect environmentally friendly living room!

Buy or Find Second Hand Items: Buying new furniture is not always necessary. It leaves a larger carbon footprint, and you will be shelling out more money! Every year our neighborhood has a neighborhood wide garage sale, and it is a true treasure hunt. We have gained some super great deals for our home right down the street, with no delivery fee! I also love vintage items; they bring a certain warmth to a home and they add one of a kind character to a living room.

Handmade or DIY: If you possess the skills and tools to build or create furniture do it. You can customize a piece all your own! Constructing your own furniture will leave a smaller carbon footprint since you do not need to use the same chemicals or manufacturing processes as large mass produce companies. If you love to DIY, be creative with what you have and repurpose existing items into something new.

Sustainable Materials: When shopping for your living room look for sustainable materials such as FSC Certified Wood, Bamboo, and Cork. There are many styles and options for wood flooring, furniture and even lighting fixtures created from these Eco-friendly materials.

Fabrics and Upholstery: If your fabric sample is stamped as Greenguard certified then that fabric has passed the world’s most extensive standard for low emissions of volatile organic compounds, which are known as VOC’s into indoor air. Search for natural material instead of synthetic. They are more Eco-friendly because they were simply woven into shape and there were no chemicals involved in the production process.

Recycled Materials: More and more designers are making furniture out of recycled plastics and metals. Recycled materials frequently require less energy and resources to process. From old wood railroad ties being used in ceiling support beams to present a rustic appeal to lumber yards supplying contractors and builders with reclaimed and locally sourced wood products.

Paints: Paints and finishes should be low- or no-VOC, low-odor, and free of toxic chemicals. These are water-based paints instead of oil-based, so they are healthier and clean up is easier. They also come in a variety of colors and palettes to add the perfect wow factor to a living room!

Add Plants and Flowers: Plants bring life to any room! They freshen up a space and have the ability to purify the air. Flowers can improve a mood, concentration and enhance your productivity. I’ve rounded up a great list of air purifying plants here!

With all the environmentally sustainable options available, you can still design and furnish your living room to fit your family’s needs and personality, while still being Eco-friendly!