Eco-friendly interior design: a guide to creating a sustainable and eco-friendly interior

You often don’t realize that the materials used for interior design could threaten the environment or even your health. It is always a wise choice to seek out an eco-friendly interior designer who can bring your ideas to life at an affordable cost while ensuring that the materials used do not endanger the environment or put you at risk of respiratory and other problems. terms.

Paintwork

There are plenty of green solutions on the market if you just look for them. Green paint is one, conventional paints and finishes are quite dangerous if scientific reports and research by interior designers are to be believed. They are said to release low-level toxic emissions long after they have dried on the walls. Paints with Low Volatility Organic Compounds (Low-VOC and No-VOC) are the solution. You can feel the difference that they are odorless, thanks to the lack of harmful chemicals. However, some of these eco-friendly paints are expensive and may not fit your budget. But it is important to remember that it is almost impossible to create a 100% non-toxic and non-allergenic paint, even if the manufacturers claim so. What can be done is to use paints that have a lower concentration of harmful elements, which is effectively what low-VOC and no-VOC paints are.

wallpaper

For those who would like to add a bit of vibrancy to their walls, eco-friendly wallpapers are available. The problem with normal wallpapers lies in the inks that are used during manufacturing. Eco-friendly wallpapers feature water-based inks; These inks are printed on chlorine-free paper obtained from forests specifically managed for this purpose. Low VOC adhesive can be used for light and medium weight paper based wall decorations.

rugs

Once you’re done with the walls, it’s time to turn your interior design cravings into flooring. The danger of contamination with general-purpose carpeting and flooring is that your installation can fill the indoor air with a large amount of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. Included in these VOCs are carcinogens such as formaldehyde and benzene. You certainly wouldn’t want you or your loved ones to inhale these toxic substances. You can’t escape it, as these compounds can take years to dissipate, long after the floor has been finished. Also, the treatment used to keep the rugs free of moths, dirt and moisture involves toxic chemicals. The rugs themselves could attract toxic substances and VOCs from outside the home. The good news is that eco-friendly interior designs can be employed here as well. There is a wide variety of eco-friendly flooring options including bamboo, cork, recycled metal and glass tile, linoleum, stone, and reclaimed and sustainable woods.

carpet tiles

Take a look at modular carpet tile squares that can be used in place of traditional carpet, these tiles are attached to the floor using adhesive dots. They resemble conventional carpet when all the tiles fall together, but are made from fully recycled materials and can be recycled over and over again square by square. If you’ve dirty a square by mistake, it can be recycled while you get a new tile!

uses of bamboo

Bamboo is also a great choice for green flooring. Interior designers could provide you with innovative ideas for using bamboo not only for flooring, but also for a variety of interior furnishings. Recycled metal tiles available in aluminum and brass from dealers are great for bathroom, kitchen walls and floors. They are often considered fashion interior design statements. Available in a polished, matte or rough finish, they can satisfy the decorative tastes of many, especially offering a contrast with the wood used in other parts of the room.

Sustainable and Reclaimed Wood

Sustainable and reclaimed wood are great interior design options and work for both flooring and furniture. Rapidly disappearing forests have created a need for sustainable wood products. These wood products are made with wood from managed forests. The difference between a regular forest and a managed one is that the latter is never destroyed all at once (clear felling) as is the case with other forests. Only selected trees are removed, leaving behind a variety of different tree species. Then each area of ​​forest is managed and replanted giving a 30-year cycle of forest regeneration to complete before logging begins again. This system does not deplete the soil of its tree cover and also ensures a constant supply of wood.

This is how interior designers can find out if the wooden furniture or accessories they buy are made from wood sourced from managed and sustainable forests. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) seal is one of the seals that are trusted, the other being “SmartWood” from the Rainforest Alliance and the SCS and “Green Seal” labels from Scientific Certification Systems. FSC works globally to ensure the responsible use of the world’s forests. FSC certification only falls to forest managers and manufacturers who have met the highest environmental and social standards at all stages of the wood production cycle, from the forest to the market through the factory. There is no better way to balance the interests of society, the environment and industry.

Beds, bed frames, dressers, nightstands and accessories are available in sustainable wood certified by FSC and other organizations, while reclaimed wood products are also available. Reclaimed wood products are made from woods that have previously served in structures and floors. No new trees are cut down to create a reclaimed wood product.

And finally…

If you make the decision to make the environment safer for everyone, there are many options you can try. Starting with the floor, you can customize everything from furniture and accessories to floors and walls. New green ideas will also appear on the market. Start the ecological revolution!