Today, people are becoming ever more conscious of the environment and the effects they have on it by their actions. Finding ways to be eco-friendly, on a day-by-day basis, include becoming environmentally and eco-friendly. Improving home air quality and reducing allergens and harmful gas vapors is a major concern for many people and taking steps to make the home more eco-friendly addresses these issues.
A third of an individual’s life is spent sleeping, so the bedroom is the obvious place to start when making a home “greener”. Employing energy-efficient design and using eco-friendly materials and fibers are the best way to make a bedroom healthier and more earth-friendly.
Energy-efficient designs for the bedroom
While the bedroom is being remodeled insulation can be added to the ceiling and walls of the room. Insulation not only keeps the heat in during the cold weather and keeps the heat out during hot weather; it will also act as an acoustic barrier, making the room a quieter, more peaceful place for sleeping and relaxing in.
Adequate lighting and saving on electricity use may seem to be at odds with each other, but actually there are many environmentally friendly ways to save on energy while keeping a room well-lit. Windows, of course, let in plenty of light, but for sleep and temperature-control purposes, controlling the lighting levels is important. Drapes are a good way to reduce heating and cooling costs while also complementing the room’s design. Shutters are an attractive and functional way to cover windows in a bedroom and many specialty companies will help design shutters for your home with the environment in mind.
Steps in decorating an eco-friendly bedroom
After completing the design and layout of the bedroom, it is time to begin decorating, starting with the walls and floor covering.
When it comes to the walls, choosing the right kind of paint is very important since most conventional products emit volatile organic compounds or VOCs. Choosing paints with low-VOCs or no-VOCs is a big step in making the room healthier for the family and the environment. Choose colours such as bright green, yellow or soft lavender, which will help to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere in the room.
Another option for a bedroom is to refinish the walls. Venetian plaster is not only a beautiful, low-maintenance finish, it is also very environmentally friendly. Applied in thin layers to the walls, Venetian plaster blends marble, quartz and clay into a beautiful, old world-style treatment; it is an easy DIY project, is durable, long-lasting and does not need re-painting or re-touching every few years.
When it comes to flooring, select products made from eco-friendly and recycled materials, such as bamboo or cork flooring, natural rainforest-friendly woods and tiles. Area rugs, made from natural fibers, can be used as required. If carpeting is a must, use products made from hemp or wool and, rather than wall-to-wall installation, use rug tiles, which may be replaced individually, as necessary.
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