Go Green Decorating & Furniture Guide

 

Living Environmentally Friendly

One of the biggest trends to recently hit the globe is going green. People are finally beginning to incorporate ecological living tips into their lives, and fortunately, interior design is heading in the same direction as well!

If you’ve been looking for some chic, urban pieces but they all seem to be constructed of man-made materials or finished without toxic chemicals, you don’t have to search any further.

The selection of eco-friendly products is getting bigger by the second, so to produce positive energy in your home, and better impact the world around you, implement go green decorating!

Get started by assessing what areas of your home need updating with fresh, earth-loving commodities:

Green Decorating Living Room

Every living room needs to start with a centerpiece. The Lifestyle Solutions Satin White Country Cottage Coffee Table gives any room a fresh and cozy look, and it’s built with sustainable hardwood.

Another option is the Night and Day Furniture Rattan Floral Collection Tulip Glass Top Coffee Table. Rattan is a resourceful wood that is durable and resists splintering as it gives off a natural flair. An additional centerpiece idea is a durable floor rug.

Or this Klaussner Eco Chic End Table

The Walk On Me contemporary kiwi/lime Rug is made from hypo-allergenic faux fur and it’s formaldehyde-free, a toxin normally used to manufacture wood, leather, and other common household items.

For seating options, a futon is a practical choice for a sofa. Since it converts to a bed, you’re buying two furniture pieces for the price of one. A great eco-friendly choice for a futon is the Simmons Futons by Big Tree Sea Breeze Full Futon Frame with Mattress.

The side panels are made with woven sea grass, which is a renewable fiber. If you want to add a fun touch to your living room, or even your basement suite, the Jaxx Lounger 7.5′ Bean Bag Chair in Glacier is cute, comfy, and made with 100% recycled urethane foam.

Go Green Decorating Dining Room

            No dining room is complete without the perfect dining table. There are lots to choose from that are made with oak and maple, but those aren’t the best eco-friendly woods because those types of trees take a long time to grow. Rubberwood is becoming more and more popular for furniture, since it’s a fast-growing tree that isn’t running out of supply.

Try the Somerton Brazilia Gathering Table

or the Klaussner Furniture Nikka Dining Room Table for a great rubberwood dining table.

For dining room seating, a sensible solution is the Klaussner Furniture Eco Chic Dining Room Chair.

A good accent piece is a divider screen if you’ve got an open concept dining room, of if you just want to cover up a wall. Made from recycled iron, the Pangaea Iron and Canvas Large Pewter Privacy Room Divider Screen is simple in design so it can work just about anywhere.

Go Green Decorating Bedroom

            Of course, for a bedroom, you’ll need a sustainable bed! Select a platform bed, since they don’t require a box spring, so you’ll save on material and money in the long run.

A natural-looking choice is the Lifestyle Solutions Coronado Platform Bed in Beechwood, which is another renewable wood source.

For a more luxurious bed frame, try the Lifestyle Solutions Knotch Platform Bed in Cappuccino.

Many mattresses today are made from either sustainable or organic materials. Consider the Strobel Organic Supple-Pedic Lever-Bed 450 Series Mattress, with a natural cotton stretch cover and soy-based memory foam. Soy products are biodegradable, so it won’t be sitting in a landfill for ages like a regular mattress.

For a quick eco-fix, donate (or find another use for – never throw away!) your current headboard/footboard and replace it with the Powell Kawayan Brushed Dark Brown Bamboo Headboard or Footboard.

Bamboo is the fastest growing fiber on earth, making it the most resourceful. The headboards are made with rubberwood and rattan, two more fast-growing resources.

Go for a mirror and dresser combined so you won’t have to waste energy making separate purchases! The Lifestyle Solutions 234 Series 6 Drawer Double Dresser and Mirror is an ideal green selection.

Go Green Decorating Kid’s Room

Giving your kids an eco-friendly dream room starts with the Ecotots Surfin Kids Eco Friendly Twin Bed.

Formaldehyde-free, and water-based stained, your children will be breathing easy! Complete the look with the Ecotots Surfin Kids Eco Friendly Sideboard Storage Unit,

and the Ecotots Surfin Kids Eco Friendly Art Time Easel.

Cribs for your baby can also be renewable. The Stokke Sleepi Crib not only has a cool contemporary look, it’s made from beechwood in sustainable forests.

Kids also get the option of an organic mattress. Choose the L.A. Baby Maxi Support Memory Foam Organic Cotton 2-in-1 Orthopedic Crib Mattress for cribs and

the L.A.Baby Organic Coconut Fiber Crib Mattress for little ones just starting to sleep in beds. Coconut fibers have excellent sustainability, since they’re in the same category as rattan and bamboo.

Go Green Decorating Office

You might think of your office as the least eco-friendly place to be, since it’s electronic headquarters, but at least your furniture can be sustainable!

The Night and Day Furniture Spices Clove Student Desk and Chair is an ideal space-saver, and it’s made of resourceful rubberwood.

Also try the Winsome Writing Desk in Honey Beechwood, and

pair it with the Winsome Printer Stand in Honey Beechwood for your home office. Sort your files with natural rattan organizers,

like the Pangaea Natural Wicker/Rattan Storage Basket.   

Go Green Decorating Outdoors

A lot of outdoor furniture is made of plastic, which is not a biodegradable or resourceful material. Opt for the Oakland Living Elite Wicker 5-Piece Dining Set that uses light, natural wicker fibers for the construction of the table and chairs. It’s a weather-proof material because it’s been sealed and stained, and it’s very easily cleaned. Plus, wicker won’t rust, rot, or chip!

Also try the Nfusion Cyprus Modern Outdoor Wicker Chaise Lounger for those days of relaxing in the sun.

Forget about setting up wired lighting outside. Allsop’s Solar-Powered Garden Art lamps are heated by the sun during the day and then glow by night.

Make your patio warm and inviting, and cover up those worn sections with an organic rug.

Try the Couristan Recife Collection – Indoor/Outdoor Organic Blocks/Cocoa-Black. For a great garden decoration,

consider the H Potter Large Bamboo Trellis.

Another bamboo ornament is the Kenroy Home Yin Yang Bamboo Tabletop Fountain. In China, bamboo is the symbol of longevity, due to its durability. So your backyard will continue to look stylish for years to come!

Here are some green decorating design tips to follow around your home:

• If you’re planning on painting anywhere in your home, try to buy natural-based paints, which are often made from milk proteins and clay. Normal paint is high in chemicals, like volatile organic compounds (otherwise known as VOCs).
• In the market for a new hardwood floor? Consider bamboo or cork instead of slow-growing hardwoods. Bamboo is extremely tough and will last for ages, and cork is a shock-absorber, making it comfortable yet sturdy against feet traffic.
• Pot your home-grown plants and bring them indoors. Not only will your living space be brightened up, plants absorb CO2 from the air and give out oxygen. A perfect way to freshen things up!
• Speaking of gardening, why not get out there and plant a tree? Imagine how much CO2 a tree can soak up! Encourage your friends and neighbours to plant trees as well – the more trees out there, the less chance of global warming.

Happy Green Decorating! Nicolette

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Interior Design Styles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.