Now that you have gotten started with the process of decorating your home, you of course want to make it look as beautiful as possible. However, if you are an eco-friendly person as well, you want to accent your home and help the environment at the same time. While this may initially sound tough, the good news is that it is very easy to decorate your home in ways that will benefit the environment. Ready to get started?
Buy Used Furniture
Rather than see more trees cut down, you can save the forests by choosing to buy used furniture for your home. Start looking around online as well as visiting some of your local thrift shops and used furniture stores. You will be surprised to see just how much beautiful used furniture is available. From dressers and tables to bed frames and more, you'll find what you need, save money, and help the environment.
Don't Use Carpeting
Though it looks nice, carpeting is actually extremely harmful to the environment. Filled with all types of pollutants and chemicals, it can actually release toxins into your home as the years go by. Along with this, once it wears out, it will get tossed into a landfill, where the toxins will enter the soil and surrounding air. Instead of carpeting, use reclaimed wood to give your floors a cozy, downhome look that you and everyone else will love.
Use Low VOC Paint
If you want to paint your home's walls, do so using only low VOC paint. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. This paint will release toxins into the atmosphere not only immediately after it is applied, but also for decades to follow. Along with harming the atmosphere, you and your family will also be breathing in these toxins. So whenever possible, use Low VOC paint.
Choose Thermal Curtains
While you may think hanging curtains at your windows will do little for the environment, you are wrong. If you choose to use thermal curtains instead of the usual curtains, they will help you to substantially reduce your energy bill. Using less natural gas to heat your home in the winter will be your way of helping to protect the environment.
Whether you decide to incorporate only one of these ideas into your home's decorating plan or all four is up to you. Whatever you implement, know that you are helping the environment. Not just for you, but for generations to come.
