Sustainable Ways to Redecorate Your Home

by Klaudia Hubbard Marketing Consultant

With the drastic climate change that we are witnessing today, sustainability isn’t just a choice anymore, it has become a responsibility that we all need to take.

A popular myth doing rounds about sustainable home décor is that it’s either boring or highly expensive. We tend to disagree with both. There’s a harem of brands in the market today that are producing sustainable home décor pieces, ethically made and distributed all around the world. Various home décor styles are adopting sustainable culture and a wide range of décor accent pieces are being made using sustainable materials and fibers. Therefore, you can easily create a solid mesh of style and sustainability to spruce up your place without any guilt of harming the environment.

Listed below are some ideas that will help you revamp your home in a more sustainable style. Choose the ones that suit your taste and make your way towards an eco-friendly lifestyle.

1. Use Natural Fibers

Replace synthetic fibers with natural and organically obtained fibers for the soft furnishings at your home. Use handmade rugs to add warmth and comfort with their soft textures. Usually made up of Wool, Silk or in combinations of both and other natural fibers, handmade area rugs aren’t just a sustainable choice but also a highly durable option. You can also choose natural fibers for your bed linen and curtains for home. Unlike synthetic materials that can end up causing skin allergies, natural and organically obtained fibers cause no such problems.

2. Replace plastic with wood and bamboo

Right from plastic containers to accent pieces made up of plastic, we can’t start listing the amount of plastic we use at our homes on a daily basis. All of us are aware of the fact that plastic is harmful for the environment. However, what we don’t know is what to replace them with. Wood and bamboo are two very good replacements of plastics when it comes to containers. Terracotta is another widely used material for making sustainable home décor pieces.

3. Make handmade goods a preference

Apart from being a sustainable choice, handmade goods are also a mark of luxury and class. Usually, people prefer factory made products over handmade products because handmade products are comparatively expensive. However, the fact that they have a larger shelf life is something that needs to be considered as well. Right from handmade home decor pieces to handmade fabrics, the durability of handmade products is unmatched in comparison with products made by machines.

4. DIY and Upcycle

Our habit of constant hoarding puts us in a place where we are left with a bunch of scrap that we neither use nor throw out. If this sounds relatable to you, then try DIY and Upcycling products to create enchanting home décor accent pieces. The internet is full of ideas that would help you in the process. Most popular DIY pieces for home décor include lamps and plant holders made up of wine bottles. With artistic upcycling, old cups become candle holders and pickle jars become apothecary jars. Along with being a sustainable practice, upcycling also gives life to the artist in you.

5. Decorate your home with indoor plants

The lack of opportunity to go outdoors and experience nature during the pandemic has made indoor plants an essential part of our new age home décor. Be it at home or in the offices, biophilic design is being appreciated by people in all kinds of settings. Therefore, if you haven’t tried decorating your home with indoor plants yet, just do it as they would be a breath of fresh air, quite literally.

6. Add texture with handmade rugs

Rugs are something that add layers to your home. They bring a certain warmth with them and keep your home comfortable and cozy. When it comes to making a sustainable choice, handmade rugs are always better than factory made rugs as they use natural fibers like Wool and Silk. Handmade rugs also take forward the legacy of local artisans and keep the age-old art of weaving rugs alive. Moreover, handmade rugs have high durability and are highly resistant towards dust and stains.

7. Support local artists

Contrary to popular belief, sustainability isn’t just about nature and climate but also about human resources and social aspects. When we talk about a sustainable environment, we don’t just mean to protect our flora and fauna but also to support the people around us. While buying accent pieces for your home, considering local artists and craftsmen is also a sustainable choice which should be made into a habit. It keeps your local art and culture alive and also supports the talent around.

8. Use reclaimed wood for furnishing

When we think of buying furniture for our home, we usually prefer buying everything new. We don’t even consider buying an old piece of furniture as it instantly becomes a matter of prestige. We also remain skeptical about the quality and age of the product. However, it is a fact that there are people who constantly sell their furniture as the trends change and buy new ones according to their evolving taste. You can easily find old pieces of furniture in good condition and paint it in your style. Maybe not a forest but you can surely protect some trees by going with this idea and it would make more difference than you think.

9. Know the brands you associate with

Another lesser-known aspect of sustainable living is associating with brands that follow ethical ways of functioning. There are brands that have been violating labor rights for years, indulge in illegal practices and cause all kinds of pollution without giving the environment a single thought. As an informed and aware citizen, if you stand for sustainability, knowing people you are investing in surely helps the purpose. Do your research before associating with a brand and try investing in people who follow ethical practices. It is also a part of creating a sustainable environment.

So, these were 9 ways to refashion your home with sustainable pieces and practices. If you have decided to make sustainability your lifestyle, these tips are sure to guide you in the long run.