5 Ideas to make your Green Home Interiors come Alive

Green architecture or way of designing is an eye-opening way of thinking for a better future. But today, chasing human comfort and prioritizing better facilities have backfired by affecting the environment. The time has come to place the environment first based on which we can move ahead.

Although the interior decor is a small part of the construction of a building, it contributes 7% to 10% carbon footprint of the structure. With such statistics, taking one step in that way by incorporating green home decor ideas would be the way forward. These ideas will not only enhance the condition of the environment but also improve the interior environment that you are exposed to day in and day out.

Sustainable methods and ideas should not be taken and passed off as just an upcoming trend because day by day, legitimate concerns regarding environmental degradation are increasing. Incorporating green home interior decor ideas can be the first step in doing your part in saving it.

What are Green Home Interiors?

A green approach in architecture or design, in general, is where you take measures to protect the environment for human wellbeing.  They use methods, materials, and measures that have a low or zero carbon footprint. Low VOC paints, green plywood, reclaimed wood are some of the examples to go green on the interiors.

The benefits that it lines up for a better environment, as well as a human, can be seen once effectively implemented. Following are some green home interior creating tips that might inspire you further to take up a green way of thinking.

Environmental Benefits of Going Green, not just the Outdoors but also the Indoors

Opting for a green way of design reduces the number of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. It is a way of energy spent during the life cycle of a design using environmentally friendly materials, which go through less processing. It can also be done by reducing the unnecessary usage of resources like water and electricity.

These green measures look at managing the waste produced and are aimed to last for a longer time, as they are nature-driven. Many benefits tags along interiors based on green design concepts, such as:

1. It improves the indoor environment by incorporating elements like plants and natural greens that give out more oxygen. It can also exclude the use of chemically processed materials to include natural and minimally processed materials that are safer for humans to use.
2. These ideas can save the expenditure of the house in total by using energy-saving design methods through low consumption appliances.
3. As traditional design methods are mostly green design-centric, you might even end up reconnecting to your roots to find a new and improved way of living.
4. As the green design is unique to every house on how they'd decide to save aspects and improve, the space becomes a unique piece of art on its own.
5. It can be the first step where people coming in can get inspired to follow the same path, which increases the impact even further.

One person's efforts toward a sustainable and environment-friendly environment could be ineffective. But collectively taking families that take similar steps will make the impact the planet needs. Nudging you further into practicing the same, are these amazing and effectively aesthetic green home interior design ideas.

5 Green Home Interior Decor Ideas

1.    Rooted in the past with Second-hand Furniture 

Second-hand furniture might be used but there is always an old-world charm that is attached to it. It brings in the ever lost style that used to be the hip new things everybody wanted. Today these are the pieces that are sold as one-of-a-kind materials whose demand seems no bound.

These can also be the hand-me-down heirlooms you once pushed away. It brings back the memories and making a home around it is the most unique thing you can do to amp up the space.

By using these elements as a part of your green home decor ideas you will be able to save up the energy that is spent on buying a brand new piece. It also promotes small businesses and saves these unique pieces from ending up as logs of wood for a fire. Decorative Wooden chairs and simplistic wooden sofa sets were once a rage that can be brought back as a nostalgic reminder. Armchairs for reading nooks and old-fashioned chandeliers to adorn dining areas adds to this aesthetic

2.    Taking back the disregarded Waste Materials

The intention here is to make use of the millions of tonnes of buildings and other materials that get dumped mindlessly onto landfills. They remain intact degrading the environment as time passes.

So instead of letting it be useless, let's find a creative way of using these to make textured feature walls, or repurpose them to be used as furniture or aesthetic elements of art. This way the materials can be used and you won't need to order new ones which saves the energy spent in processing.

Materials such as reclaimed wood can be fixed into seating features while broken glass pieces can be put together with a base to form textured walls or features for other parts of the interior. Colorful glass bottles can be reused as lighting fixtures to hold the lamps.

3.    A design core of Eco-friendly materials

Apart from reusing, you can also incorporate green home interior design ideas by incorporating elements that are eco-friendly in themselves. This is an effective way of consciously putting sustainability and green design forward.

Buying new elements will be materials, furniture, and decor that have gone through the least processing and that have a positive impact on the environment. Biodegradable materials and traditional elements would be the go-to in such cases.

Today with the emerging technology finding solutions to problems and needs, chemicals like paint have also found a better eco-friendly counterpart. Traditionally weaved furniture and earthen showpieces can combine to form a unique aesthetic. Wood-framed furniture and colorful fabrics can tie the look together as well.

4.    Breathing in life with plants

Green is a color directly related to plants, so that would be one of the first things to come to mind when discussing a better impact on the environment. Plants can not only add to the aesthetics of the space, but it comes with a set of functional benefits as well.

Bringing in more plants directly means bringing in more oxygen to your living space and reducing the CO2 build-up. This elevates the indoor environment and improves the health of everybody living there.

Plants don't take up as much space as they used to. Today you have the option to hang the plant or fix them up on a wall, which increases the aesthetic aspect without compromising the functionality. Plants such as Parlor, Palm, Boston Fern, Ivy, and Snake plants can bring in the necessary oxygen to breathe the fresh air into space. Bird’s nest fern and Pilea Peperomioides prove best to be set up in a pet lover’s home. Peace Lily, Pathos Collection, and Tillandsia Ionantha are great low-maintenance options.

5.    Energy savings with the Lights

Lighting can be considered one of those resources we take for granted. Replacing your lighting fixtures with LEDs can be another way of incorporating green home interior creation ideas.

Even if you do replace them, there still are times when lights are turned on for no particular reason. A simple solution is to make use of the daylight you get free of cost, till it vanishes in the late evening.

You can add in openings to maximize this and practice the art of drawing your drapes every single morning. That will let in an ample amount of light everywhere as well as provide the needed cross-ventilation. LED lights in the form of a statement edgy light fixture can make the space stand out, while string lights can bring in a subtle and fun vibe to the space. 

6 Tips to Apply Green Home Decor Ideas

Once you have a grasp on all ways to accomplish a green interior space, assistance in terms of how to apply it comes into play. Here are 6 tips that will come in handy for the same.

1. Assess your lighting and heating needs to design a space that maximizes them. Lighter rooms pave way for a brighter and bigger space while heating can be maximized with well-insulated openings that use thick curtains.
2. Included decor items that are made of recycled materials and reused pieces that are still in good shape and fit your aesthetic.
3. Opt for textures, finishes, and materials that are eco-friendly and natural, reducing the processing energy spent on them.
4. Add plants that give the interiors oxygen such as snake plant, spider plant, Gerbera Daisy, etc. which will elevate your setting as well.
5. Invest in decor items that are of good quality and durable as the constant change in the setting would be unsustainable.
6. Add in renewable ways of powering such as biofuel for your fireplaces and solar panel-powered lighting.

However your approach may be for the theme of your home, the basis of it should be rising from the thought of how to create green home interiors. It might seem difficult at first to navigate through the various ways to promote the same, but with these green home design tips, it will be a few steps easier to implement. Be it any theme or style you want to achieve, it can be done the best by leaning a bit on the greener side of things.