6 Sustainable New Year’s Lifestyle and Home Design Resolutions
Fresh ideas often arise out of New Year’s resolutions, and sustainability is no exception. What starts as a simple pledge to reuse old stuff can turn into a commitment to a more sustainable lifestyle, which could include changes to your living space or energy use.
If you are thinking of making your lifestyle or your space more sustainable and cruelty-free, the following are a few ways to explore sustainable living in the new year:
1.Get an Energy Assessment
Many municipalities offer free energy assessments to evaluate your energy use and show where you can conserve energy. A visit to your city or state’s website can help you get an idea of the local recycling and energy assessment options in your area.
2.Buy Pre-Loved Furniture
If you are starting on a green interior design project, consider sourcing furniture from local exchange marketplaces or second-hand stores instead of buying new furniture. There are many local exchange groups active on social media and the Internet. There are also antique stores and second-hand stores where you can buy unique pieces that you would not find in larger furniture retailers.
3.Investigate Composting Solutions
Composting your food and other waste cuts down on your impact on the environment through reducing landfill, which contributes harmful methane to the atmosphere that accelerates global warming. Composting solutions range from simple to more complex and it’s important find the right one for your home and lifestyle. You should be aware that food waste can draw animals to an area which can lead to adverse consequences for animals. Securing your compost is an important part of an outdoor composting solution.
4.Consider a Greywater System For Your Home
Gray water systems scale up from the most simple solutions, such as conserving bath water and collecting rainwater, to sophisticated systems that divert household water from water treatment systems to garden irrigation and even home treatment systems. It’s important to understand the way that used water impacts the environment before you begin using a grey water solution. Used water can be extremely beneficial for plants but not in every case. If you do your research you can start with simple techniques that can be implemented straight away or installed within a few days.
5.Learn Upcycling Techniques
Along with reuse and recycling, upcycling is another way to find life in older materials and products. It can be a creative way of putting your own stamp on green interior design. An old piece of furniture can be refinished or even painted to give a different feel. Upcycling can also be used to create unique pieces of art and furniture, such as decoupage, paving or tiling from scrap materials. Upcycling techniques are infinitely diverse and they can fit the project that you have in mind.
6.Get an Ecosystem Integration Consultation
If you are undertaking a green interior design or green external design project, an Ecosystem Integration Consultation with Experienced Green Interior Designers will help you make changes in a way that is harmonious and beneficial to nature and the local ecosystem. There are many things your home redesign needs to consider such as the effect of a building project on local biodiversity. Your project could incorporate efforts to support and encourage animals and local biodiversity, such as installing bird friendly shutters, seeding a green roof, planting native plants and working with non toxic materials.
Follow Through on your New Year’s Resolutions With A Green Interior Design Consultation
If you are struggling to know where to start when transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle, our green interior design consultants have a decade of experience researching the science of green interior design and green external design. We work with clients with unique goals in diverse climates and ecosystems throughout the US and internationally. We connect you with suppliers and contractors who can help you realize your green design dreams and work with you to shape your project to your individual vision. We consult with clients at our offices in San Diego CA, MI, brooklyn NYC, and Paris France. We also do remote consultations at your convenience. Please contact us to learn how we can assist with your green lifestyle goals or green interior design project.
