5 Eco-Friendly Tips When Decorating Your Home

Eco-friendly decorating has never been easier. More and more brands are jumping on the trend of releasing alternative green products. But doing your bit for the planet when decorating, doesn’t just come down to the types of products you buy.

It’s arguably what you do with what’s already in your home that can make all the difference.

We’re going to show you how a little creative thinking can help you spend less on your renovation and still do your bit for the environment.

1. Go Second Hand

One of the simplest ways of reducing your carbon footprint during a home interior renovation is by choosing to only purchase second-hand goods.

The popularity of the second-hand economy is growing each year, with over 100 million used goods sold in the last 12 months alone, according to an annual report by Gumtree. As a result, you’ll find there’s much more choice on offer for your decor by going down the second-hand route.

When it comes to throwing out items that you no longer want, consider whether you could sell them to make some extra cash to put towards your decorating budget.

2. Try Upcycling

Most people assume you can only really renovate your home by spending large amounts of money on new or second-hand items. This isn’t always the case.

Upcycling has become a buzzword in recent years due to the saturation of DIY programs on television. In essence, it’s taking what you already have and giving it a much-needed makeover.

Wooden furniture is the most common beneficiary of upcycling. You can sand down surfaces on most wooden items and re-wax or paint them to match new or existing decor. Some DIY-enthusiasts take things one step further by turning rundown items into entirely new objects. The only limit is your own imagination.

3. Source Wood Responsibly

Deforestation is an ever-growing issue, with 18.7 million acres of forest destroyed annually, and the follow on effects (including species devastation and carbon emissions.

If your heart is set on buying new wooden furniture, choose products that are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. The FSC is an independent organization that promotes responsible forestry.

4. Change To Thermal Curtains

Windows tend to be one of the main sources of heat loss in a standard home. Thermal curtains are double or triple layered with insulation material, help keep heat trapped within your home and reduce your energy bills in the process.

5. Pick The Right Paint

Giving a room or object a fresh lick of paint is a (relatively) easy and expensive way to upgrade your home. Until recently, all paints came with high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC). These compounds are damaging solvents that escape into the atmosphere as the paint dries.

Thankfully, these toxic paints are now a thing of the past. Manufacturers have come up with a way of creating low-VOC paints that still provide the performance we’ve to expect. Spotting these paints in your local hardware store is easy thanks to the ‘low-VOC’ label that accompanies every applicable tin.

This post was supported by Gumtree.