7 Beautiful Sustainable Materials to Use in Your Home Design
If you are ready for an overhaul of your home, a big part of the journey involves choosing and and sourcing materials. With a standard home redesign you could walk into a showroom and decide to re-fit your bathroom with all the materials available in the store. If you are committed to sustainability however, your choices will require a little more thought.
Conscious, green interior design involves a consideration of the materials and processes involved. The materials should have a low environmental impact and be non-toxic. A recent study found 45 toxic chemicals in dust lurking in the home. These chemicals were linked to cleaning products and common materials found in the home. Flame retardant chemicals, for example, were found in very high concentrations in household dust. These can enter the body easily and be harmful to the health of adults. It’s even worse for infants who are more likely to reach out and touch surfaces in the house.
In addition there is the external impact of your choices. There is the environmental impact of industrial logging, the production of materials using plastics made from petrochemicals, the cruelty and environmental impact of leather and wool production.
Fortunately there is an ever increasing range of beautiful eco-conscious materials to choose from that are kinder to the environment and people. Below are a few of the most beautiful and durable materials you can use when designing your home sustainably.
Cork
Cork comes from Cork oak trees and it is a material that can be harvested by hand without cutting down the tree. Cork is extremely insulating. It is impermeable and air cushioned so it fits tightly within a space, traps heat and provides a good noise barrier. It is a hypoallergenic material that resists dander and dust. It is soft (which can make it more vulnerable to damage) but makes it a great choice for children’s bedrooms and playrooms. It has a natural, beautiful, flecked appearance. Arranging cork flooring allows for ample creativity in creating decorative geometric patterns.
Recycled Aluminum
Recycled aluminum reduces mining pollution and carbon emissions. It can be a great choice for sustainable appliances such as refrigerators.
Reclaimed Wood
Reclaimed wood is a beautiful, unique, sustainable material that may harbor interesting features and imperfections that could make it a good choice for designing interesting statement furniture pieces. The imperfection of driftwood can also create beautiful furniture pieces. Reclaimed lumber can be good for flooring and other uses.
Recycled Glass
About 27 percent of manufactured glass is recycled. This helps to reduce water pollution by 50 percent and air pollution by 20 percent. Excess glass that you are throwing away can be transformed into countertops, tile, backsplash. If you have access to glass crafting facilities, the glass can be melted down and turned into sea-glass-like pebbles or made into creative glassware. Recycled glass can even be mixed with other materials to create bricks.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a good alternative to hardwood. It is more sustainable than hardwood, as it is a fast-growing crop that easily replenishes. It can be used for flooring and can replace wood in many parts of your home.
Linen
Linen is made from flax, a plant that can be cultivated through low intensive farming and has many byproducts, such as linseed oil. As it is a plant-based material, no animals are harmed in its production. It is a durable, long-lasting, biodegradable material that resists bacteria.
Newspaper Wood
Newspaper wood is a new material made by a Dutch company using glues that don’t have harmful solvents. It turns the newspaper back into a wood-like material and retains the colors of the printed materials in a way that resembles wood grain. It may not solve all practical home furnishing problems but it can be a beautiful and unusual addition to home furnishing.
Get in Touch With Our Green Interior Design Consultants
Our green interior design consultants can help you redesign your home whether you live in California or out of state. Our design services are available remotely. We have a wide network of sustainable suppliers who can help you realize your design objectives.
Every design project we work on is not only sustainable, it is also free of harm to animals. We advise people on how to live in harmony with nature and animals.
We believe it is not only possible, but more harmonious and beautiful, to use materials in your home that complement and support the environment and nature. If you are curious about how to integrate sustainable materials into your home design or redesign, please contact our green interior design consultants today.
