Updating your home is an incredibly exciting project. It’s a chance to create a gorgeous space and enhance your lifestyle. It’s also a chance to do our part and upgrade our homes with eco-friendly decor ideas. Discover these earth-friendly decor ideas that also look amazing, below.
CONTENTS – In this article, you will learn about eco-friendly decor ideas you can use when you are updating your home, including:
- Why Earth-Friendly Decor Matters
- Using Earth-Kind Fabrics
- Upcycling
- Incorporating Plants
- Opting for Eco-Friendly Paint
- Choosing Second-Hand Goods
- Going Energy Efficient
- Burning Non-toxic Candles
- Final Thoughts on Earth Friendly Decor
Why Earth-Friendly Decor Matters
It should come as no surprise that the way humans have been treating the earth over the last century has been environmentally detrimental.
We are at the crossroads on the planet, and dramatic changes are in order. And while we may not solve the global issues we face overnight, we can each do our part. With 7 billion people on the planet, the choices you make as a consumer can add up.
One thing you can do is to make your home decor eco-friendly. When you opt for a sustainable décor, your interior design incorporates reused, recycled, or responsibly sourced items.
The more people who strive for sustainable interior design at home, the better. Are you in?
Eco Friendly Decor Ideas For Your Home
You can start redecorating with these sustainable ideas that will make your home greener—and look better, too.
1. Use Earth-kind Fabrics
Improving your home doesn’t mean you need to make huge changes. Sometimes all you need are a few accessories. You might choose rugs, throws, new curtains, cushions, or tablecloths.
When you are shopping for fabrics, make earth-friendly choices.
Some of the best materials include:
- Jute
- Soy cashmere
- Hemp
- Organic cotton
- Seagrass
These materials do not cause a severe impact on the earth during their production processes, so you can feel better about adding them to your decor.
2. Upcycling Ideas
If you’re feeling a little creative, why not use up-cycling to improve your home?
Upcycling is reusing materials in a way that makes a better product.
For instance, many artists are experts at upcycling. They might reuse pages from an old book as a canvas, or create a sculpture from corrugated cardboard.
When you’re adding artwork to your home, seek out these creative pieces from local artists knowing that they have been upcycled.
You can upcycle, too.
To get started, check out the Recycleclart app. This tool will help you to reuse old items to make new decorative objects for your home.
Upcycling projects can help you to get creative, and you can make some seriously beautiful items for your eco-friendly decor!
3. Plants are the Best Decor
Plants are the most eco-friendly decor option out there. Adding that bit of life to your living spaces can seem to change the whole vibe for the better.
Here are a few of the benefits you can enjoy when you decorate with plants.
- Adding plants to your home makes it look beautiful, bringing a touch of nature indoors.
- Plants will enhance your air quality, and raise your endorphin levels.
- A recent study has shown that plants can help to lower stress levels and lift our spirits.
- It’s an inexpensive upgrade.
- Some plants multiply, giving you free baby plants so you can add more to your collection.
When you’re shopping for plants, make sure you consider how much space you have to work with—although we think it’s tough to add too many plants to your home.
And if you have pets, make sure you opt for pet-safe houseplants.
4. Use Eco-Friendly Paint
A fresh lick of paint is one of the best ways to improve your home. Plus, the right color in a room can really uplift your mindset.
When you’re choosing your paint, go beyond the color to select an eco-friendly paint.
Traditional paints are made with Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs.
These are gases that come off of certain materials—including paints—which affect your indoor air quality. More importantly, VOCs can be harmful for the planet, and for your own health.
Instead of traditional paint, look for earth-kind paints, typically made from a variety of natural ingredients including:
- Balsam
- Milk proteins
- Clay
- Citrus
When you choose an eco-friendly paint, you can select from a range of colors that are made from natural pigments. That way, it’s a great-looking part of your eco-friendly decor.
5. Opt for Second-hand Goods
Shopping second-hand is a super eco-friendly practice.
That’s because when you shop second hand, you’re consuming less, and that leads to living a more sustainable lifestyle.
You can look in a lot of places to find lovely second-hand goods. One good option is to try second hand apps such as Chairish, Wallapop, and Facebook Marketplace.
Shopping for pre-loved items has several benefits that will:
- Save you money
- Reduce your carbon footprint
- Add unique items to your decor
- Reduce overconsumption and waste
So before you buy something brand-spanking-new, see if you can find it second-hand, first.
Besides, you never know what unique treasures you’ll discover. Adding vintage decor goes a long way toward injecting some personality into your design!
6. Keep it Energy Efficient
While you’re making decor changes that are eco-friendly, it’s also important to think about how energy efficient your home is.
You’ll find a lot of ways you can create a more energy-efficient home that also improve the beauty and comfort of your living environment.
Here are a few ideas:
- Upgrade your Attic Insulation to ensure you are not losing heat and energy
- Replace old devices and appliances with newer, energy-efficient ones
- Upgrade your windows to beautiful double or triple glazed
- Install solar-powered lighting in your yard to improve the evening ambiance
- Invest in a slick thermostat that automatically turns off the heat when you’re not home
- Hang lush thermal curtains to reduce heat loss
- Replace energy-wasting lighting with LED options. You can even get eco-friendly LED Neon signs now, when you visit Neon Mama.
When your home is energy efficient, you’ll have reduced costs and also be benefiting the environment. And, many of these changes make it look a lot better.
7. Choose the Right Kind of Candle
Candles can set a magical ambiance in your home. Who doesn’t enjoy the soft glow of candles over a romantic dinner or a candlelit spa night?
But you want to make sure you’re choosing candles that align with your eco-friendly decor.
This is really important because some cheap candles also contain toxic VOCs, and even metal in the wick. When you burn them, you’re polluting the air you breathe.
Instead, look for candles made with soy or beeswax and scented with essential oils.
Anything else is probably not good for the environment or your home.
Final Thoughts on Eco-Friendly Decor
With all these home decor tips, you can transform your living space into the perfect eco-friendly home. Every bit helps when making environmentally sound choices—from your home decor to your groceries and clothing choices. The good news is, it doesn’t have to come at the cost of good-looks.
Don’t forget to save this article for later on Pinterest!
Photo credit: Feature photo by Dan Gold (Unsplash), all others courtesy of Canva Pro.