There’s more to eco-friendly living than recycling and bags for life. In fact, there’s plenty we can be doing it at home to live a greener existence! With sustainability trending in all aspects of living, we thought we’d share our eco-friendly home tips to help you make more environmentally-conscious choices about the way you live.

You’ll be pleased to know that you don’t need to trade in your luxuries to live more sustainably, it’s more about awareness on resource consumption and determination towards reducing unnecessary waste.

Upcycle

This one is great for saving your pennies! Upcycling is a fresh take on ‘out with the old and in with the new’. It’s the DIY act of taking old things around the house and turning them into something original and useful rather than throwing them away. Upcycling projects keep your creativity levels up as products and materials are repurposed around the home.

This one is also great for keeping children busy on weekends! An easy project to start with is transforming glass bottles and jars into vases, candle holders and plant pots. Get creative by peeling off the label and painting the bottles to complement the colour palette of your interior.

For an authentic, vintage aesthetic in the garden, keep the label on the bottle and fill with bird seeds to create a quirky bird feeder. Wrap copper wire around glass bottle and create an S shape hook for hanging onto a tree branch or birdhouse ledge. Take either a dish or glass drinks coaster with a rim and add a feeder base to the mouth of the bottle. As the birds feast on the seeds, the bottle will distribute more seeds onto the dish. Once all the seeds have been eaten, simply lift the bottle out of the wire holder and refill with more seeds.

Organic Materials and Stainless Steel

Biophilic design is seriously trending in interior design! Everyone is talking about connecting with the natural environment with organic materials and plenty of plant life. The key to this eco-friendly trend is to limit the amount of plastic at home, replacing furniture and decorative accessories with sustainable alternatives. Seek out natural wood, bamboo and other organic materials when furnishing your living space with textures and patterns. Be on the lookout for antiques and good quality, used furniture for sale in your local area and clean your home with natural cleaning remedies from household ingredients.

A great amount of stainless steel has been repurposed in architectural developments as the material plays an important role in sustainable design due to its repurposing capabilities. Solid stainless steel door handles with winged levers on rose are not only designed with ultra-modern qualities but are also non-corrosive, making them a durable and sustainable option for embellishing doors at home. Join industry experts in their use of quality materials by featuring stainless steel door handles and accessories to decorate your home.

Donate and Resell Items

Extend the life of your Items that you no longer need by donating and reselling them either online or at the car-boot sale. By extending the life of any product, you help reduce dependence on disposable or cheaply made single-use products. As a vast amount of waste in landfills decomposes and creates methane, a very powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Take a bag full of your clean, unwanted clothes to a charity shop or try reselling them on one of the various online marketplaces. Remember the saying ‘someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure!’. If you’re clothes and shoes are no longer fit for wear, take them to a local recycling facility to be made into new items, such as cleaning cloths, industrial blankets and padding for chairs and car seats

Turn Off the Lights

There are several simple ways to reduce your household energy use. The easiest way to start is by switching off the lights and appliances that you’re not using. During the day, keep curtains and blinds open to let in as much natural lighting as possible.

Showcase white walls at home to reflect the natural sunlight from your windows then maximise the light with large interior wall mirrors. Energy conservation keeps bills low at home so you may even consider fitting large windows and skylights to your property to ensure maximum natural light intake!

Keep your Home Warm

Keeping the house warm on cold winter nights is essential for your family’s comfort, but turning up the thermostat can cause your bills to sky rocket! Make use of thick curtains in bedrooms and the living room to provide insulation. Double glazing also helps reduce air leakage, meaning that heat from your central heating can be retained in your home for longer. Layer textiles throughout the home to keep warm! Incorporate textured rugs, throws and cushions to stay cosy on chilly winter nights and wear long sleeves and layers where you can. During the winter months, the average home thermostat should be set between 18-21°C for a comfortable indoor temperature.

We hope to inspire your home improvement projects by offering a variety of high-quality products that excel in both aesthetic and performance. If you love all things interior and want more home inspiration, check out our previous blog Transform Your Kitchen to Cook More!