7 Ways to Design Living Spaces for a Sustainable Home
Sustainable home design refers to creating healthy living spaces that look and feel good aesthetically and ethically. From high-performance windows and doors to energy-saving appliances to adding renewable energy with solar panels, sustainability starts with considering the impact of the practices and elements that we incorporate into our sustainable homes.
While current home ideas may catch your eye, remember that design trends are always changing. What’s popular today may not be sustainable for you and your living space in the long run. Sustainability means buying something because you love it and not just because it’s the latest and greatest.
Keep reading to learn how to create sustainable home living spaces that are better for our planet and the health of the people living in the house.
Why Is Sustainable Home Design Important?
Being an eco-conscious consumer has become a way of life for many people. From the cars we drive to the clothes we wear to the cleaning products we use, we are well aware that the choices we make today have long-term consequences for the future. This important ethic can extend into our home design.
When you design a home’s interior with sustainability in mind, it is kinder to our planet. A sustainable home can help to reduce our energy usage, preserve natural resources like water, reduce waste to prevent pollution, and so much more.
Sustainable interior design promotes our physical and mental health, too. Implementing certain design practices can help improve indoor air quality so we breathe cleaner air, eliminate the presence of harmful toxins that can make us sick, and even boost our mood and productivity.
Before we dive into all the ways you can create sustainable living spaces, let’s first share the five R’s of sustainability. These are the general principles for waste reduction and energy efficiency, and you can apply them in your home’s interior:
Refuse: Don’t bring furnishing and other items into your home unless they are eco-friendly and ethically produced.
Reduce: Reduce energy consumption to minimize your carbon footprint. This includes your home’s heating, cooling, water, and maintenance.
Reuse: Replace single-use items, like plastic cups and straws, with reusable metal water bottles and straws.
Recycle: Separate materials—such as paper, plastic, metal, and glass—from your regular trash and place these items in dedicated recycling bins. Recycling can also mean donating items that you no longer need to places where people can shop for them, such as online marketplaces, thrift stores, resale stores, and donation centers.
Repurpose: Find new ways to use old items in your home. Instead of throwing away a T-shirt that’s no longer worn, for example, turn it into a cleaning rag.
What Are Some Ways to Create a Sustainable Home?
Here are seven eco-friendly home ideas.
1. Choose furnishings made of sustainable materials.
Most importantly, stop buying things that are “fast.” Instead, invest in yourself, your home, and the health of the planet.
Choose furniture, fixtures, flooring, and décor made from renewable, biodegradable, and nontoxic materials. Because the materials we use have a direct relation to farming, harvesting, and manufacturing methods, we want to go with those that have the least impact on our environment.
Choose natural materials such as bamboo and reclaimed or repurposed wood—or materials that can be recycled and reused like metal and glass. These tend to be better quality and last longer than artificial materials such as plastics.
Sustainable materials are more durable, so they reduce waste because you will need replacements less often. Even after you’re finished using them, they may still have enough life remaining that you can pass them to someone else.
2. Consider the source, and buy items made in the U.S.
Ethical manufacturing is another consideration in sustainable interior design. Just as you are conscious about who you let inside your home, you should carefully consider what you let in.
Make sure you buy from companies that maintain business and manufacturing practices that are ethically, socially, and environmentally responsible.
It’s also important to buy items made here in the United States. That’s because those manufactured overseas require long-distance transport, which pollutes the air and water, and are often made with cheap or toxic materials.
3. Seek out local furniture makers.
Shop for furniture locally and support small businesses, craft fair vendors, and antique shops in your area. You can even shop locally online by using the website Etsy. Type the item you’re looking for in the search bar along with your location (for example “lamps in Tallahassee”).
Buying locally reduces the carbon footprint from shipping via sea and air and eliminates the need for single-use packaging during transport. Also, supporting local businesses creates jobs within the community and helps boost the local economy.
4. Bring plants into your home décor.
Adding greenery to your living space is a great way to bring nature indoors. Plants help promote a sense of calm, add a pop of color, and (best of all) help you breathe cleaner air.
As plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, they can improve the air quality in your home. Aloe vera, queen fern, rubber tree, English ivy, and philodendron heartleaf are just a few of the plants that act as natural air filters.
Always be cautious when choosing your plants, as some can be poisonous to your pets.
5. Buy gently used items.
According to the EPA, more than 12 million tons of furniture are produced each year, while over 9 million tons end up in landfills.
There are so many great quality pieces out there that just need a little TLC to bring them back to life. So instead of buying new furniture, consider buying used and upcycling your pieces. Not only is it more affordable, but it also reduces waste.
You can find truly unique pieces at vintage shops and on Facebook Marketplace. Sometimes all you have to do to revive old furniture is add a fresh coat of paint, updated hardware, or new upholstery. Oftentimes these older furniture pieces are sturdier than some of the new furniture available today.
6. Use nontoxic paints and stains.
Paints and stains with high VOC (volatile organic compound) levels, fungicides, and biocides are bad for the air and for our respiratory health. And living spaces that can make us sick are certainly not sustainable.
Luckily, many paint brands list VOC levels right on the paint can. Look for those with low VOCs (less than 50 grams per liter) or no VOCs (less than 5 grams per liter).
7. Choose cotton fabrics over synthetic.
Cotton is the more sustainable option for choosing bedding, linens, and rugs instead of synthetic materials. Cotton is a natural material that’s durable for long-lasting use. It’s also biodegradable, unlike synthetic materials, which can take decades to break down.
Look for cotton-based items grown with sustainable farming practices, such as those that are organic, or minimize the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
How to Renovate Your Home in an Eco-Sustainable Way
If you are planning to build a sustainable house or are considering a major remodel or minor renovations to your existing home, consider consulting Well-Designed Home. We specialize in creating sustainable living spaces in eco-friendly homes using a holistic design approach.
Everything we do is inspired by wellness and sustainability, and we are experts at incorporating these elements into your interior design. Book a free discovery call today.