When decorating your home, common design ideas
like contemporary, traditional or modern styles typically come to mind,
but what about an eco-friendly theme? Going green is fast becoming a
common lifestyle trend. It can be seen in what people wear, what they
drive, what they eat and it can even be seen in how people decorate and
design their home. If you're looking for a means to adopt a greener
lifestyle, why not start in the living room? Here are a few tips on how
to make your living room eco-friendly.
Home Electronics
The best place to start making your living room more eco-friendly is with your home electronics. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests using electronics with the "Energy Star" label. Energy Star labeled products like televisions, stereos, DVD players and cordless phones meet strict efficiency guidelines that are set by the EPA. Electronics with the Energy Star labels benefit the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The great thing about Energy Star labeled electronics is that they use energy efficiently, so you get the same features, performance and comfort you would from any other piece of electronic equipment, while saving money on energy bills, and making your living room more eco-friendly at the same time. Even the Energy Star labeled products that cost more than a less-efficient product can eventually save you more money in the long run.Lighting
Well-lit rooms can, literally, brighten your mood, and a great way to light up your living room is through natural lighting. To increase natural lighting in your living room, try switching to light-colored and loosely woven curtains, which will help allow more natural light to enter your living room while protecting your privacy. Using glossy paints and adding decorative mirrors to your living room walls can also help bring more natural lighting into your living room by reflecting sunlight from outside. The great thing about natural lighting is that it's free and will help lower the electric bill.If you find the natural lighting in your living room insufficient or, for some living rooms, completely non-existent, make sure you swap out all of your incandescent bulbs with more energy efficient ones. Fluorescent bulbs use a fraction of the energy it takes to power incandescent bulbs, and are usually a lot brighter. Like natural lighting, this tip to make your living room more eco-friendly will help you save money on the electric bills.
Furniture
So, what kind of furniture is considered eco-friendly? The EPA suggests looking for furniture and decorations for your living room that are "greener" than the standard stuff you might across. When shopping for living room furniture, look for products made from recycled or reclaimed materials. Certain manufacturers sell furniture that is made from an eco-friendly production process, minimizing energy waste and utilizing energy efficient methods to create furniture. Some manufacturers use alternative materials other than wood that are renewable or can be easily recycled. The EPA also recommends eco-friendly furniture because it has little to no toxic or hazardous compounds like volatile organic compounds (VOCs).Flooring
More and more people are becoming aware of the environmental hazards related to carpet flooring. Carpet floors can trap allergens and dirt, reduce indoor air quality and can even emit certain VOCs. If you prefer carpet over any other type of flooring, the EPA recommends looking for carpets that are: recyclable, made from recycled material, do not contain any toxic dyes, have little to no VOCs and are made from sustainably grown materials.Those looking for non-carpet flooring for their eco-friendly living room should consider cork or reclaimed lumber. Cork flooring has the same appearance of hardwood, but is less expensive and sustainably harvested. Reclaimed or salvaged wood flooring is eco-friendly and can be obtained from reuse stores or marketplaces.
If you are considering tile flooring, look for tiles made from recycled materials, and use low-VOC adhesives and sealants.
Recycling or Restoring Old Furniture and Items
One of the best ways to create an eco-friendly living room is by keeping the old stuff you already have. Throwing out old furniture is not being environmentally conscious and leads to excess waste. Rather than tossing that faded coffee table or ripped couch, try restoring them. A quick sanding and stain using eco-friendly materials can make an old coffee table look like new. Slipcovers are a great way to give an old couch a facelift. Old quilts, comforters and blankets can also be converted into slipcovers, and falls under the eco-friendly practice of recycling and reusing old items and materials rather than throwing them out.If you can't find any use for an old piece of furniture, or there is no way to restore it, try coming up with a new way to utilize the item in your eco-friendly living room. Many would consider a coffee table with a broken leg a piece of junk. But, maybe you could turn that piece of junk into a new shelf, or saw off all the legs from the coffee table, repaint it, then hang it on the wall and call it a piece of art.