Great ideas for Eco-Friendly Design in your Home and How to Incorporate them
We can all agree that interior design is a vital part of our homes, but did you know that interior designers in London are now adding eco-friendly interior design to their list of specialties?
There has never been a more important time for sustainable interior design than right now. Because the Earth's resources are under ever increasing pressure, more and more designers like interior designer Jessica Buckley are making it their mission to create interior spaces which respect the environment around us whilst also creating visually stunning home interiors. Using space efficiently and responsibly is one of the key elements of this new trend, which is why clever storage solutions like freestanding furniture or wall mounted parts are an essential part of any interior decorator's tool kit. Another element of sustainable interior design is moving towards interior lighting that doesn't use any harmful toxins, for example LED lights.
Take a look at our top ten reasons why eco-friendly interior design really can make a difference to your life! If you are curious to know more about Interior Design, consider signing up in our Free Interior design course "Interior Design Fundamentals", organized by HDI.
Making the transition to sustainable interior design means you will save money in the long run. Not only are you reducing your carbon footprint by using sustainable interior design, but it also means you won't need to do any major renovations in the future because your interior is designed properly from the start. This is especially important when something like insulation is not considered early enough in an interior designer's plans and results in big unnecessary energy bills for homeowners. Use of high-quality materials which last longer than cheap substitutes is another way of saving money.
Why eco-friendly design is design of the future?
The interior design world is moving towards a greener future because it makes interior design better. By making interior spaces more energy efficient, sustainable interior design creates healthier homes and happier homeowners. More and more people are choosing to decorate their homes in an eco-friendly way using sustainable interior solutions as well as organic interior materials which look great but also respect our shared environment. Not only do eco-friendly interior design ideas make your home look beautiful, but they also have great health benefits. Whether you are designing a new interior or looking to revamp your current layout, consider the reasons in this article.
If it's cold outside, then heat can easily escape into the atmosphere through poorly insulated walls and roofing. Eco-friendly interior design ensures that homes are built with proper insulation in order to keep inhabitants warm in winter and cool in summer.
Why natural insulation is important?
By using interior insulation materials that are much lighter weight and more insulating, eco-friendly interior design makes a significant difference to both the interior temperature and the outside temperature. By ensuring that buildings have an insulated roof and double-glazing windows, heat is retained within a building for longer periods of time during winter while colder temperatures outside are kept out in summer. Consequently, interior heating and cooling is reduced energy consumption by up to 30%
1. Help reduce your carbon footprint
By using eco-friendly interior design materials, you are reducing the amount of harmful chemicals that affect our environment. For example, interior paints which use lower VOC (volatile organic compound) levels mean less pollution in the air when interior painting takes place. Natural interior paint also greatly reduces indoor air pollutants while the majority of interior paints on the market today contain toxic chemicals that can cause eye and respiratory irritations among other harmful effects. How to reduce your carbon footprints in your home? When interior painting with natural interior paints that contain lower VOC levels, it reduces pollution in the air and helps reduce your carbon footprint. One of the important ways to do that is to reduce construction waste.
Construction and interior design companies are working together to reduce the amount of interior building materials being recycled from old buildings which would have been dumped onto landfill sites. By practicing interior design recycling processes, furniture and interior fixtures that were removed from a building during renovation or rebuilding work can be reused in the new interior. In addition, natural interior paints help reduce interior construction waste as they do not contain harsh chemicals that usually end up being thrown away with interior paint cans - making them a much more eco-friendly choice for home interiors. When choosing interior paints use the slogan "2 coats of colour plus primer equals 10 coats of protection" because all latex paint has a low VOC level. This will ensure you get better coverage on interior paint projects while keeping interior air quality clean and healthy for your family. Are you passionate about eco-friendly Interior design and wanting to create it in your home? Then you can check our course "Sustainable Interior Design" and understand much more effective strategies!
2. Enhance interior design with eco-friendly materials
There are interior design companies that have a green heart which means they use a wide range of eco-friendly interior materials in their designs, such as bamboo flooring, recycled carpets, and reclaimed wood furniture. All interior design products come from sustainable resources where possible, to reduce the harmful impact on the environment. By choosing interior designs that use these types of interior products you can ensure that you are doing your bit for environmental conservation efforts. If you want to understand what are the best eco-friendly materials to use for your home? Wood interior design products are a good choice as they come from renewable resources and bamboo flooring is made from sustainable bamboo plants that can be re-grown in three years. Bamboo interior flooring is hard wearing, resistant to water and termites. In addition, interior design using recycled interior carpet is also a sensible interior design choice as it uses interior materials that would otherwise be thrown away without causing environmental damage. For example, old interior carpets that are removed during office refurbishments can be donated to interior designers who will re-purpose them as new interior carpet tiles.
3. Energy efficient homes and buildings
Energy efficient homes and offices use more insulation which reduces the amount of heat lost or gained inside a building. This means less heating and cooling costs for homeowners and businesses alike. Using eco-friendly interior furnishings such as bamboo flooring, reclaimed wood furniture and low VOC paint products means less interior heat is lost in the winter months and interior cooling costs are reduced in the summer due to interior air quality being cleaner. Why consider choosing energy efficient homes and how it impacts the environment? The carbon footprint of a household contributes to the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which causes climate change. By choosing interior designs that use energy efficient interior design products, you are helping reduce your impact on the environment as well as saving on interior heating and cooling costs.
4. How to improve interior air quality?
Choosing interior paint finishes that contain low VOC levels is an important interior design practice because chemical pollutants in paints cause interior air pollution. This means occupants of homes experience eye and respiratory irritations due to breathing in harmful chemical pollutants. Choosing interior paints with no added solvents will improve indoor air quality, resulting in better overall health for household members who live or work inside these buildings. Interior painters that use eco-friendly commercial interior paint finishes are interior designers that follow these interior design and interior painting practices. Why choosing eco-friendly interior paints is important? Interior paints that are low in VOCs will have better interior air quality, resulting in less respiratory and eye irritations for people living or working inside buildings. In addition, interior design products such as interior paint finishes that are low in VOCs do not emit harmful chemical pollutants into interior air which is a definite interior decorating plus.
- Consider green plants for purifying the air in your room
How green plants can improve the air quality. It is well known that plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, thus helping to reduce interior air pollution. Green interior design also includes interior plants in interior design since they can help interior air quality in many other ways such as absorption of humidity from the atmosphere, removal of impurities from the indoor environment and more! Some of the best plants to improve the air quality in your home are corn plants, bamboo palms, philodendron, Ginseng bonsai, Aloe Vera, Jade tree, English ivy, snake plant, spider plant, Weeping fig, red edge Draceana, Queen fern, Rubber plants and more.
5. How eco-friendly interior has connection with your health and wellbeing?
As well as improving interior air quality, choosing eco-friendly interior decorating materials is also good for our mental and physical health.
Many interior furnishing products use recycled materials such as old tires and scrap metal to create new furniture such as benches, chairs and play equipment that will be used by household members. Not only does this improve existing plastic waste problems but it also reduces the demand for non-renewable resources to create new furniture items. Using these types of eco-friendly interior design products can contribute to a healthier interior environment. For interior designers who focus on interior design with recycled interior carpet, this means creating interior spaces that are environmentally friendly but also contribute to human health and wellbeing. Why choosing eco-friendly interior decorating products contributes to interior health Benefits of using these types of eco-friendly interior design materials typically result in improved interior air quality, less interior heat is lost in the winter months which helps reduce respiratory irritations caused by breathing in harmful chemical pollutants. In addition, using these types of eco-friendly interior materials is good for mental and physical wellbeing because household members will be able to enjoy living or working within a healthier environment without chemicals being released into their bodies.
6. Reducing interior water waste – why it is important?
Using rainwater harvesting systems is an interior design practice that helps reduce interior water use by collecting rainwater to be used for purposes such as toilet flushing, garden watering and washing clothes. Interior designers who are environmentally conscious often incorporate interior water conservation features into designs because of the benefits they have on indoor air quality. Why consider interior water conservation strategies? Collecting rainwater through interior storm water recycling systems reduces the total volume of fresh drinking water required from public mains supplies which reduces plastic bottle pollution caused by bottling up drinking supplies from mains supplied sources. When interior storm water harvesting systems are installed into interior design projects, interior air quality is improved because interior rainwater can be used to reduce the need for interior water heating which releases harmful chemical pollutants. Why reducing interior water waste is important step to go green? If interior water conservation strategies such as interior storm water recycling systems are not incorporated into interior design projects, the interior designer may be left with interior water heating systems that constantly release harmful chemicals and contribute to interior air pollution because of interior hot water being constantly released into living and working spaces.
7. Minimizing interior 'packaging' waste
One of the biggest impacts on the environment is interior packaging waste, which can be minimized by choosing eco-friendly interior products such as bamboo flooring, reclaimed wood furniture and low VOC paint finishes. Bamboo flooring comes flat packed as tongue and groove boards instead of as rolls or tiles like most other floors. This means there is no interior packaging waste when installing bamboo flooring. Reclaimed wood furniture pieces such as desks, cabinets and shelves come in flat pack form with minimal interior packaging waste making them a smart choice for green interior designers and environmentally conscious homeowners alike who want to reduce their environmental impact. Low VOC interior paint finishes are a good choice interior designer who use interior paints. Low VOC interior paint is a water-based interior paint that emits low levels of chemical pollutants into interior spaces.
8. Use natural lighting whenever possible
Light is very important when it comes to how you feel in your home interior. During winter months in particular, windows are often covered up in order to block out cold drafts and keep heat inside the room. These covering can also cut off all sunlight from entering into the interior space altogether if window sizes are too small, resulting interior design of a room can also be achieved through interior paint, natural stones and interior lighting. Why using natural light is important for the environment? Sunlight provides the interior with heat, natural light, and reduced carbon dioxide levels while diminishing interior water content.
9. Other great benefits of eco-friendly interior design
Eco-friendly interior design protects air quality Air is pulled through an interior via natural ventilation when warmer or cooler air outside moves inside when openings such as doors, windows, skylights and vents are left open. Natural ventilation also keeps homes fresh with clean air so it's important not to close dampers such as louvres that will prevent proper circulation. Insulation helps interior air maintain a constant temperature, which means homes and commercial interior spaces won't need to rely on air conditioning or heating systems as much. If you want to know more about eco-friendly interior style, you can read the article "Eco-friendly Kitchen design ideas -12 effective strategies".
10) Eco-friendly interior design is cost effective
Using interior insulation keeps your home more comfortable during winter and summer months, reducing the need to run interior cooling and heating systems if they are properly insulated. A well-insulated interior also reduces energy bills throughout the year by preventing heat loss in cooler seasons and avoiding too much heat gain in hotter seasons. The interior design industry is always looking for ways to create sustainable interior spaces, which not only saves energy but also reduces interior pollution and environmental impact. Using eco-friendly interior design principles in your home will not only save interior money over time, but also improve health and wellness levels of anyone who lives inside it.
Keeps interior space free of noise pollution. Walls are built better with sponges along the inside that absorb sound rather than reflect it throughout your interior space, thereby allowing you to avoid excess noise pollution. In addition to containing sound within one area, environmentally friendly interior design ensures comfort levels by providing occupants with privacy. How to keep the space free of noise pollution? Ceilings are another interior design feature that help control interior noise levels. High ceilings in interior spaces without insulation will cause sound to bounce into surrounding areas, while lower interior ceiling heights will keep sound cooped up inside. Integrated interior ceiling fans can also be used during warm summer months to improve air circulation and reduce interior humidity.
Here are some interesting interior design styles, featured as best for eco-friendly design:
Nowadays interior design is not only aiming at creating beautiful interior space; it also takes other things like eco-friendliness, energy conservation and affordability into consideration. With respect to these issues interior design becomes a challenge for interior designers all over the world because of its complex nature.
Contemporary Home Interior Design Style:
The main aim of this kind of an interior style is to achieve maximum comfort and flexibility in interior space without losing any contemporary touches. It tries to make interior space as user-friendly as possible.
As this interior design style is mainly developed to deal with interior designing problems, it takes two main things into consideration i.e. interior planning and interior decorating. When it comes to interior planning issues like the room size, furniture arrangement inside the rooms etc is dealt with maximum care so that people don't face any problem while using these spaces in future also.
On another hand, when it comes to interior decoration the focus is on choosing right kind of materials for wall decoration instead of paints which can be reused later after covering them with new paints leaving no marks behind showing their previous use. Thus, this kind of an interior design style aims at keeping environment clean and stylish simultaneously by applying eco-friendly interior design styles.
Savvy Eco-Friendly Interior Design Style:
This interior design style is all about using new materials in interior decorating to make interior look stylish and luxurious at the same time by avoiding paints for wall decoration. These interior designs largely focus on using only new materials which are totally reusable after their usages or easily recyclable without losing any of their properties. The interior designers generally use fabric covering for walls, wooden floors insides the rooms, ceramic tiles instead of paints for flooring etc. to reduce interior designing cost and keep environment clean simultaneously.
Green Interior Design Style:
It is the interior design style which also pays significant attention to interior planning issues like room size, furniture arrangement etc. but its main focus lies on making interior designs eco-friendly by avoiding harmful chemicals for wall painting or flooring. Green interior designers generally prefer paints with low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) value for paint work over walls leaving no marks behind even after covering them with new paints. Contrarily they use less harmful chemicals while dealing with hardwood flooring problems because hardwood floors are long lasting interior decorating materials.
As interior design is directly related with human users this kind of interior designs aim at reducing interior designing cost as well as hardships associated with interior planning issues. Thus, it takes both interior planning and interior decoration into consideration making them eco-friendly interior design styles.
Minimalist interior Design : Minimal interior design style follows simple interior planning rules to make interior look spacious inside the house because it's one of the interiors designing styles that pays maximum attention on making interior designs eco-friendly. This interior decorating style generally prefers using fabrics for wall painting, small windows instead of paints etc. so that no interiors materials are wasted, and rooms have more space in them.
Sustainable Interior Design Style: This type of interior design style aims at giving personalized touch to interior decoration by choosing different kinds of materials according to requirements of interior planning issues i.e. room size, furniture inside rooms etc. The main attraction of this interior decorating style is that it can be adjusted according to different areas where people want eco-friendly interior decoration work.
Japandi interior style: Japandi interior design style is also an interior decorating style that can be adjusted according to different interior planning issues like room size, furniture arrangement etc. and it is the interior designing style which pays maximum attention on interior decoration related problems like flooring and wall painting.
See questions on: