We’re thrilled to share with you our first of many guides!
This guide will introduce you to several ways on how to start creating your sustainable home. From the linen we use on our beds to our choice of furniture, we look for objects that really connect with us and will make our home environment feel inviting and unique.
It is not about trying to achieve perfection but taking the steps that feel right for you. You’ll find one step will bring you closer to another.
What you will find in this Issue
Inspiration to create your sustainable home.
A curation of our favourite ethical brands available in the market.
More specifically, this guide includes:
- Where To Start?
- Furniture, Deco & Interiors
- Upcycling Your Furniture
- Bedding & Homeware
- Light
- Water
- Air Quality
- Plants
- Cleaning
- Sustainable Home For Children
From furniture to homeware, lighting and cleaning, this guide covers almost everything you need to make your home more sustainable.
Furniture, deco and interiors
When choosing furniture, it is important to have several things in mind. For example, you’ll want to look for organic materials and a piece of furniture’s grade of toxicity. This way, you can go for organic fibers and good quality furniture that will keep your home healthy and safe.
Aim to purchase furniture that is locally made.
Choose modular and multifunctional furniture so that you can avoid having too many pieces of furniture at home.
Buy mattresses that are made with natural and organic materials, like cotton, wool, and natural latex.
Read more of this and discover our exclusive selection of ethical furniture, deco, interiors, vintage, and antiques by downloading our free guide here. You will also find some tips on upcycling your furniture.
Bedding and Homeware
Essential to any sustainable bedroom is thoughtful and organic bedding and homeware. When looking for the perfect eco-conscious bedding, naturally antibacterial or recyclable materials are a must.
Some of the materials you should consider for your room are eucalyptus, bamboo, hemp, linen, and cotton. However, it’s worth looking at how organic these materials really are, and if any harsh chemicals were used in their production.
Download our guide here to discover our selection on Bedding and Homeware and start creating your sustainable home.
Light
Finding sustainable and eco-friendly lighting has never been easier, and there are several options to choose from.
Before deciding what’s right for your home, first consider the space around you and assess what’s missing. Utilize your space as well as you can and be mindful of what corners or rooms will be brightest or might need some extra attention.
Some ideas you’ll find in this guide are the following:
- Change your wall’s color as this can drastically change how bright a room looks.
- Go for tactical task lighting. Doing this will ensure that you save energy since you won’t depend on main lighting.
- Replace all your light bulbs with LED light bulbs.
Water
Water is one of Earth’s most precious resources, and one we should not take for granted even at home.
This section shows you some tips on how to make daily water routines more sustainable as well as how to purify water through a conscious approach.
Treat taking baths as a luxury, and, instead, take showers as these consume on average three times less water. You can equip showers in an environmentally friendly way, such as with a thermostatic shower faucet.
Nowadays, most electrical household appliances are designed with an option to choose eco-friendly cycles. These eco-programmes tend to use less energy and/or water. If this option isn’t readily available to you, simply (and reasonably!) minimize the amount of times you use your dishwasher or laundry machine.
For safe and clean drinking water, use activated carbon. Charcoal sticks organically absorb most of the contaminants from water, giving it a transparent colour and a fresh taste.
Air quality
It is estimated that we are exposed to around 30 times more toxins within the home than outside, and gases emitted by furniture, carpets, and cleaning products contribute to this toxicity at home.
Since we breathe the same air for a good few hours a day at home, we should aim to have the best possible air quality.
To achieve safe air quality, try and use eco paints that do not have VOCs ( Volatile Organic Compounds). These paints do not emit chemical gases into the atmosphere like commercial paints and are as good for your home as they are for our planet. Carefully selecting plants that emit oxygen instead of CO2 at night, using hypoallergenic bedding, and limiting the amount of carpets in your home can help improve air quality.
“Have nothing
in your home which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
William Morris
We hope our guide will help you on your journey to creating a sustainable home.
You can also find some inspiration in our previous articles Creating a Sustainable Home or How To Create a Toxin-Free Home and Optimise Your Health with the amazing expert Charlie Lemmer from The Healthy Home Therapist.
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