Making Your Home A More Sustainable Place: Easy Tips For Green Living

What does sustainability have to do with home decor? Well, a lot actually!

There are ways to make a positive eco-friendly impact every time we shop for something. While many people tend to go overboard when decorating their space — it’s very tempting to feel that rush of excitement when moving into a new home or apartment — sometimes less is more.

But there are ways you can decorate your home that can reflect your personality while causing little harm to the Earth. If you are interested in learning how to make your home look stunning, without compromising your values, continue reading to learn more.

Choose Shiplap Over Wallpaper

For starter’s shiplap has a more classic look and feel. But it’s also made from one of the most sustainable substances on Earth — wood!

While wood can last up to 100 years in the home without rotting, it’s also meant to decompose quite rapidly compared to other building materials. The fact that it's biodegradable means that interior wood plank walls can decompose in as little as 13 years, given that the right conditions are met.

Wallpaper is also outdated, but with stick on shiplap planks or adhesive shiplap, you have nearly unlimited design opportunities.

Secondhand Decor

As you may know, the three R’s of sustainability are as follows: reduce, recycle, and reuse.

Reusing and rehoming pre-owned items is a great way to cut down on waste when trying to decorate your home. Go to your local thrift store and see what you can find.

Use Soy-Based Candles To Add To The Ambiance

Candles are a great way of dressing your home up without much effort. Best of all, you can light them late at night while cooking dinner, or while watching a movie to create an even cozier atmosphere. Normal candles made from paraffin wax can release toxic fumes. Not only are they harmful to the planet, but paraffin wax can also take a toll on your health. The wax is made from petroleum. If you want to err on the side of caution, but still purchase great smelling and environmentally sound candles, opt for soy wax.

Paint Using Non-Toxic Paints

Nontoxic paints do not release harmful fumes. They are also a great option if you worry about your health. Of course, if you’re looking for something else, the shiplap panels mentioned above are another way you can decorate your walls without painting at all. Shiplap is a great alternative to paint since it can also brighten up the room, depending on what pattern you choose.

Add Live Plants To The Space

While it may be easy to take care of plastic plants — they don’t require water or sunlight — adding live plants to your decor is another way you can dress up your space in an environmentally conscious way.

Not only will they produce oxygen and clean the air, but you’ll also feel a sense of accomplishment by keeping them alive. Popular and easy plants to take care of include:

• Succulents
• Devil’s ivy
• Common ivy
• Jade plant

Conclusion

As you can see, there are various ways you can decorate your entire home in an eco-friendly manner. By selecting shiplap over wallpaper, recycling, and purchasing pre-owned goods, you’ll feel confident knowing you’re doing your part in helping the world create less waste.

And as an added benefit, your home will look and feel great too!