Now Eco Interiors can be stunning too!

Traditionally interior designers were only concerned with a one dimensional outcome and that was to improve the aesthetics of a space for a client, but recently there has been a shift in the world and we are realizing that we have only one earth to enjoy, live and work in. Cover image: Highland house

Eco friendly designs can be such fun as in the design by Pencil Studio designs

More and more manufacturers and designers are starting to feel an obligation to the planet to do more than just to create beautiful space. Interior designers are now creating beautiful spaces that are green and eco-friendly too, without compromising on style and comfort. Eco friendly homes and interiors can be stunning too. Eco-friendly home don’t need to have neutral color palettes – they can be fun, vibrant and have pops of color!

When we think green, most homeowners think of solar power, conserving water and electricity but we can take it so much further! Using sustainable materials in our home, for our furniture and finishes can have a huge impact in our health and our planet long term. 

If you are lucky enough to design and build your home from scratch then you will lots of opportunity to incorporate eco-friendly options in all of your home finishes. Speak to architect, designer and contractors – have discussions around about building materials, heating and/or insulating, making the most of the sun and natural lighting, flooring and finishes for kitchens and bathrooms. Also make the conscience decision to source locally and support local small businesses in your area.

TOP TIPS

Here are our top tips in making green choices in your home. If your home is already built there are changes you can incorporate without doing major renovations.

Sustainable furniture

Choosing sustainable wooden furniture and re-claimed wooden products can have a huge impact on our carbon foot print. Even choosing a minimalist design style such as a Scandinavian style will reduce the number of furniture items in your home saving your money and will reduce the impact on the planet.

Beautiful wooden furniture, eco-lighting and and natural fabrics makes this a great room. Image: The Residency Bureau

What about recycling the past? Re purposing antique furniture is a great way of making a difference in the world. While some people might hate the idea of painting antiques, it can bring some new life into an otherwise unwanted piece of furniture and re-upholstering tired pieces in eco-friendly fabrics is another great option.

Look for the FSC logo when choosing wooden furniture – this certifies that the products come from “responsibly managed forests” and thus provide benefits for the environment.

Flooring

Cork is so trendy nowadays – using cork as flooring is a great choice and feel so comfortable under foot. The great thing about cork is that the cork bark is harvested without harming the trees and cork can be recycled easily. Many years ago my husband visited a cork tree plantation in Portugal and saw firsthand how the cork was harvested. Cork is also a great insulator and in our previous home we chose to have cork under our carpets because of its super insulating properties.

Lighting

Your beautiful chandeliers and pendants don’t need replacing, just changing your regular light bulbs to LED bulbs can make a huge difference. Did you know that LED bulbs use at least 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and last 25 times longer. Look out for the Energy star logo – this certification applies to electronics, appliances, light bulbs and other electricity-powered products and promotes energy efficiency without compromising on performance.

Colour, texture and patterns galore in this Molly Basil design

Painting

Many home owners start thinking of healthy paint options when a new baby is on its way and they are painting a nursery, but now there are so many options available that you can have great air quality throughout your house for the whole family.

When choosing paints for your home make sure that they are ZeroVOC (Volatile organic compounds) paints. Most paint companies nowadays have Zero-VOC options. 

Chalk paints such as the Annie Sloan range with its velvety, ultra matt finish is an all-natural paint and a great option for DIY projects. These paints can be used on your interior walls, furniture and even fabrics.

The Greenguard Gold certification is the standard for low emissions of volatile compounds for into indoor air – look for it on paints, varnishes and stains and glues. Many big name paint companies don’t have the Greenguard Gold certification, so do some research when choosing your paint.

Choosing a zero-VOC and Greenguard certified paint is another easy way to do your part for the planet, Image: Highland house

Textiles

Eco-friendly textiles options don’t just include natural fibres such as jute, and hessian anymore. Today there are beautiful fabric options for drapes, pillows and upholstery items available. Look into linen and organic cotton options, they will look and feel amazing. They are available in a stunning array of colours and textures. When choosing textiles and leather products look for the OEKO-TEX 100 certification – it evaluates the human-ecological safety of textile products and leather articles throughout all stages of production

Colourful textiles from Jaipur living

This is how Bibby Fine Interiors and Furniture is making a difference

We truly care about the future of our children and our planet and incorporating green practices and products wherever we can.  With our custom fine furniture projects we only use high quality sustainably harvested hardwoods – walnut, hard maple, white oak, birch, cherry and vertically grained Douglas Fir and do our best to source locally. Our finishing products such as stains and varnishes are chosen with care to ensure they are safe for you and the environment.

We also offer an Eco-friendly E-design package - this service incorporates eco-friendly, sustainable and ethically sourced furniture and decor for your home. We even include recycled materials and energy efficient lighting wherever possible. With our Eco-Edesign packages we also select paints for our clients which are Zero VOC* and are Greengaurd Gold Certified.

We are also proud to be associated with Tree Canada - the only national non-profit organization dedicated to planting and nurturing trees in rural and urban environments and to date they have planted more than 82 million trees in Canada. With every fine woodworking project or E-design project we will plant one tree through Tree Canada.

Creating sustainable and green homes requires some detail to attention and sometimes small changes can have a big impact in the long run. Just knowing that there are alternatives is a step in the right direction. And the best news is that we don’t always have to pay more to get a healthy alternative and we can do in style too. 

SHOP THE LOOK AND SUPPORT THE  JAIPUR RUGS FOUNDATION - India

Our shop the Look in this blog post is supporting the Jaipur Rug Foundation. Apart from shopping green and choosing eco-friendly products, do you ever consider where the product was made and if the workers were treated fairly and ethically? Jaipur Living's purpose is to create beautiful lives for customers and the artisans who create our products. The Jaipur System removes the middleman by employing a network of 40,000 artisans in more than 700 villages in India, ensuring quality and consistency. 

Since 2004, the Jaipur Rugs Foundation has served a key role within the Jaipur System by working to improve the lives of more than 30,000 artisans. Shop with a conscience.