Being eco-friendly at home can extend much further than the recycling bins you use to sort out the rubbish. Ensure your living space is sustainable too.
There are likely parts of your interior that you don’t even realise are having such an environmental impact. These can be easily tweaked so that they are greener – here, we explore just a few of the simple transformations you can make.
Be energy efficient with your lighting
Whilst the autumn and winter weather means we don’t see the sunshine’s beams as often, there are ways to maximise what little light there is. Instead of choosing to switch on your lamps, embrace one of the many methods of boosting natural light within your home.
When darkness hits during the evening time, however, artificial lighting will be your only option. Make a more conscious choice by opting for energy-saving bulbs like LEDs. If you have a dimmer switch, regularly turning your lights down can help to save electricity when you don’t require the full illumination. Another eco-friendly option is to install solar panels for your energy needs.
Select alternatives for heating up your home
Warmth doesn’t have to be provided by your heating system. There are plenty of more sustainable alternatives, such as simply wearing more layers, opting for thicker blankets and adorning your furniture with cosy throws. These are a healthier option too without the ‘fog’ of a central heating headache!
You can also take measures to keep the cold out – like purchasing draught excluders and dressing windows with thick or lined curtains. If you have wooden floors, rugs prevent any gaps from letting the heat flow out and will also help to warm up your feet when walking around your home.
Grow your own indoor plants
Making your home more beautiful with greenery is great, but you may be tempted to go for the no-maintenance option of artificial plants. The dyes and plastic involved in producing these means they’re actually harmful to our environment. Instead, select real ones that are easy to care for and help improve the quality of the air.
Some of the best purifying plants include the feston rose plant, moth orchid and garlic vines. Placing these in your home also has the benefit of boosting physical and mental health – something artificial plants certainly don’t have the ability to do! Additionally, they are a fantastic way of incorporating biophilic design.
Use sustainable fitted furniture
Your choice of furnishings can be environmentally friendly too. Upcycling existing furniture to give it a new look without using extra materials is one option. Or you could choose to purchase bespoke furniture from a company that uses fully sustainable resources from managed forestations, like Hartleys.
Hartleys also has a wood burner installed in the factory that negates the need for landfill and allows the safe disposal of any unwanted old furniture from customers’ homes. Our main raw material is MDF of an excellent and consistent quality and supplied by Egger, who have an eco cycle that conserves resources – using renewable energy throughout their manufacturing process.
To make your home eco-friendly with furniture, get in touch with the Hartleys team today on 01756 700471. You can even request a design visit if you’d like our creative advice on how to integrate sustainability into your interior choices. There’s also the opportunity to take a look at our wide selection of bespoke ranges by visiting our Yorkshire showroom.
