Designing an Eco-Friendly Living Room

Sustainable living, eco-friendly furniture and ways to leave a smaller footprint are all popular trends that impact how we design and live in the rooms of our homes. Especially if you are starting from scratch, decide to buy your living room furniture from a sustainable furniture manufacturer or a one that uses renewable or recycled materials. It could be as simple as choosing to repaint the room with a non-toxic, water-soluble paint; repurposing under-utilized furniture from another room; or accessorizing with found objects and natural materials like cotton curtains, pillows and slipcovers. If you’re decorating a living room or just want to give it a little spring pick-me-up, there are ways to get the chic and stylish look you want while going greener.

Tips for Buying Eco-Friendly Furniture

When buying new living room furniture, avoid furnishings made with plastics, synthetic foam and laminates that have chemical resins and binders. Manufacturers like Legare are offering consumers more green living room furniture choices.

Check to see that the frame of the furniture piece you are buying is made of timber – wood from a tree that has been prepared for production. Frames made from other natural materials such as bamboo or natural latex are also acceptable.

Purchase sofas, armchairs, loveseats and recliners with frames that have been constructed using more traditional woodworking methods rather than with adhesives and metal parts. Coffee tables and end tables with drawers should also not depend on glue but have dovetail joints instead.

Choose furniture with natural stains and non-toxic paints and finishes.

For living room chairs and sofas, choose ones with organic and natural textile coverings and upholstery.

Renewable resources refer to materials taken from nature that can be replaced. Both the frame and the fabric of the Home Styles Cabana Banana L-Shape Sectional Sofa in Cocoa are made from sustainable materials.

Go natural fiber for other décor elements in your living room such as window treatments and area rugs. Crafted from wool and natural vegetable dyes, the Abbyson Silhouette Himalayan Area Rug Pattern 5030 is very eco-friendly.

Tips for Eco-Friendly Living

If at all possible, purchase your living room furniture from local manufacturers as much as possible. This will reduce the amount of fuel used and the emissions created when transporting it from the factory to you, the consumer.

Use wicker, rattan or bamboo wherever possible. Wicker baskets are an ideal way to add organization and functionality to an entertainment center or a bookcase. Select a lamp or coffee table made from bamboo.

Arrange your living room furniture in such a way as to maximize the natural light in the room. Replace all the light bulbs in your table lamps and ceiling lighting fixtures with energy saving bulbs.

Don’t use harsh chemicals when maintaining your leather sofa or cleaning your other living furniture.