An effective and well-planned project is the key to the successful completion of a sustainable home. The rest of the work is done by the skill and experience of the building professionals involved. Here, we’ve listed some of our best tips for planning and successfully constructing an affordable green home:

1. Save a budget

Whether it involves a significant amount of money or not, it’s essential to save a budget for the project. It must be treated as an important investment. There are many things to consider in the construction of such homes. The project might also take a considerable amount of time to complete. 

As the construction progresses, things may change. If you begin to move too far from the budget, the project can turn into a nightmare. So, don’t make this common mistake committed by many individuals who desire to build a sustainable home.

2. Find a sustainable building lot for a green home

Often overlooked, this is a key element in building a new sustainable home. Finding the right building lot can prevent your project from turning into an unfulfilled dream. Without an appropriate building lot, the green building project might not get completed. Finding a sustainable building lot, therefore, must make one of your priorities in this process.

3. Fix a realistic green home building budget

A major factor in the successful completion of your green home is your available budget. It is up to you how soon you must share this with your design team. This is a matter of trust. If they realize that you have a larger budget, they might try to extract the maximum from you. So, it won’t be in your best interests to act like a millionaire unless you don’t mind spending a fortune. 

Make sure that you project yourself as an individual who is careful with money. You should come across as someone who would be keeping an eye on the bills and the progress of construction. You must also appear like someone who wants to have the basics of ecology right before starting the project.

4. Selecting a green architect or home designer

You might want your new green home to be LEED, Passive House or ZNE certified. In this case, you’ll require a green home designer or architect to come up with the plans. The fact remains that everyone needs to start somewhere. It is not advisable to use a complete novice for sustainable home plans as there’s much at stake. 

You must ask the architect or home designer whether he or she has experience in the field. It must be established whether he or she has ever built a certified green home before. If the answer is in the affirmative, then you must insist on seeing it. You must also be brave enough to ask whether it was done within the budget.

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In such situations, you can consider giving the kitchen a sustainable design. You can thus make your kitchen as environmentally friendly as possible. Here are a few key components of green interior design in kitchens:

1. Enhance ventilation

Ventilation systems of kitchens play an important role in keeping the environment healthy and clean. With the presence of adequate ventilation, carbon monoxide and other toxins released by appliances can be broken down. This ensures the completion of the combustion process. 

Besides having an excellent extractor hood, there are many other ways to improve ventilation. In this way, the impact on the environment can be minimized to a considerable extent.

2. Use repurposed items

In recent years, the trend of buying vintage pieces and repurposing old items has been on the rise. This is not only fashionable but also eco-friendly. When the old items are repurposed, the amount of waste sent into landfills also decreases. 

The need for producing new and potentially toxic items is also reduced significantly. It is the need of today’s times to think of ways to reuse old items, such as furniture. By doing this, you’ll be doing your bit to save the environment from harm.

3. Improve insulation

It is a known fact that good insulation leads to the conservation of energy. This can be extremely beneficial for the environment. It is, therefore, extremely important that you take the necessary steps to improve the insulation of your home. One great place to begin is your kitchen. While carrying out the renovation work, you must consider insulating your walls further. 

Adding underfloor heating can go a long way in reducing the loss of heat. The process of improving the insulation of your home generally involves walls, windows, floors, and roofing. So, you must take some time to examine each area to make the kitchen insulation efficient.

4. Use potted plants

This can be a wonderful idea for decorating the kitchen. With the introduction of plants into your kitchen, its entire look would be transformed. Besides, this would create a much more sustainable space. House plants have an amazing ability to clean the air and rid your home of air pollution. 

They are also beneficial for the environment in general. You can go a step further and grow your own herbs. This will create a sustainable source of ingredients for preparing a variety of delicacies.

5. Plastic-free storage

You’ll be helping the environment is a great way by replacing plastic items in your kitchen. It would also give this part of your home a sleek and contemporary appearance. As plastic pollution is a great threat to the environment, this seems to be a good idea. 

Take a good look around your kitchen and identify the number of plastic utensils, accessories, and storage items. Next, replace all of them or as many as you can with more eco-friendly ones.

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You can also be one of those who prefer sunroom flooring to feel close to Mother Nature. There are several choices in flooring, which can be used for a better tomorrow. Here, we’ve listed some of these excellent flooring options for creating sustainable interiors in your home:

1. Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is considered by many as a type of hardwood flooring. They need to understand that bamboo is actually a kind of grass. Like any of the other grasses, it grows pretty fast. It takes only three to five years for bamboo to grow to maturity. This makes bamboo a sustainable choice for flooring. The best part is that bamboo flooring functions like any of the other types of wood flooring. 

It comes in engineered as well as solid varieties. You can also use bamboo to create attractive floor patterns. It would feel quite exciting to walk on bamboo flooring. If you’re thinking of choosing bamboo flooring for your home, get it from a local flooring dealer. This allows you to know who makes it and from where it is sourced.

2. Stone tiles

Natural stone can be used as an eco-friendly flooring option. It’s durable and doesn’t need a lot of maintenance to be done to keep it attractive. Stone tiles don’t emit toxic gases, which makes them an excellent choice for flooring in your home. 

There are several other benefits of using stone tiles. They help regulate the temperature inside your home. Before you choose stone tiles for flooring, make sure that you consider the shipping concerns. The eco-friendly nature of your stone floors would mean little if they are imported with a large carbon footprint.

3. Concrete flooring

Concrete is more than just a scratch-resistant flooring option. The fact that it is essentially an all-natural material makes it an eco-friendly flooring option as well. It is made from rocks, sand, clay, and other materials that nature provides in large quantities. 

This also points out to the fact that it can be sourced and recycled easily. Of course, you’ll not be recycling it for a long time. It looks stylish and is extremely durable. Concrete flooring appears similar to wood flooring and is among the most beautiful and long-lasting surfaces.

4. Cork floors

Cork floors are the best flooring option if you suffer from allergies. They’re also long-lasting and versatile. Cork flooring is also good for those who have achy joints. The benefits of cork flooring are many. Cork is derived from the cork trees, but the product comes from the bark. 

This means that the same tree can be harvested periodically without causing any harm to it. Cork flooring is done from the recycled waste material left behind after the production of wine bottle corks. This is why its use has a minimal impact on the environment.

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The oil crisis in 1970 was just the beginning of the many repercussions that the world would face. Years of neglecting the environment were the result of the crisis. This led to the creation of several tools of assessment for built environments. Such tools were believed to be useful for promoting sustainable designs. 

Today, a designer carries greater responsibility. While designing a building or interiors of a home, sustainability must be taken into consideration. Such efforts would ensure that the design minimizes any form of negative impact on the environment.

An interior designer’s role in green design

A green interior design or sustainable interior design improves your quality of life. This is done by utilizing the indoor spaces of your home to support energy efficiency and waste reduction. As a result, the negative impacts on the environment are minimized without disturbing your home’s aesthetic appeal. 

Indoor environmental quality is among the major categories for assessment in the LEED green building rating system. This category focuses on the use of eco-friendly materials, minimizing indoor pollutants, and improving the quality of air. Besides all of this, it also emphasizes lighting and thermal comfort. 

Interior designers of today must influence and educate their clients about the benefits of sustainable living. They are the ones who can promote such practices for a healthier future.

Choice of materials

When choosing materials for a project, there are certain aspects to be considered by an interior designer. Among them are the process of production, functionality, and waste reduction. Materials are usually classified as green based on their chemical content, biodegradability, renewability, and longevity. 

The promotion of materials that can increase energy efficiency and are easily available must be given high priority. Such materials also have the potential of reducing project costs. Among these materials are wood, stone, and bamboo.

Considering the environmental impacts while planning

The decisions that are taken by the interior designer directly or indirectly influences the environment. This includes the indoor environment as well as the environment outdoors. Most of the individuals spend their time indoors, whether they’re at home or in the office. It is, therefore, essential to make sure that a healthy environment is maintained indoors. 

This is as crucial as maintaining an ecological balance outdoors. Ventilation, temperature, acoustics, and air quality are among the factors that must be considered while creating an indoor environment.

Enhancing energy efficiency

The materials used in a built environment can either increase or reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. The amount of energy consumed by the building is not restricted to the construction stage alone. Many different activities are carried out in the building after its construction. Such activities make significant use of electricity, resulting in some harmful emissions. 

An interior designer can reduce the energy consumption in such units. This can be done with the help of energy-efficient lighting and heating. Certain fabrics can be used to retain the heat. The use of light colours and reflective surfaces control the amount of light in an indoor space. In this way, the appliances that consume a lot of energy can be avoided.

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It explains that an ESID uses aesthetic principles and strategies that can be applied globally for the best results. To make eco-friendly interior design possible, homeowners must understand how it can be implemented. Here are some tips that can be helpful in creating and maintaining a green interior design in your home:

1. Choose environment-friendly materials for furniture, flooring, and rugs

People focus more on the world outside when they think of going green. They rarely reflect on the materials that are used in their homes. Many feel satisfied by installing solar panels, reducing their use of electricity, and conserving water. These are, of course, important measures towards the creation of a sustainable lifestyle. 

However, there are other elements of decor that play a significant role in creating a healthier planet. Among them are architectural design elements, floor coverings, and furnishings that use renewable materials.

2. Use reclaimed wood

In the creation of wooden furniture, lots of living trees are cut down. It is, therefore, evident that this is not a sustainable choice with regards to first use. One can make a difference here by using reclaimed wood. It involves recycling old material and giving it a new life that’s entirely eco-friendly. 

Some of the best examples are rocking chairs, wood mantels, and coffee tables made out of reclaimed wood. Such type of wood can also be used as an excellent option for flooring.

3. Make use of bamboo

Bamboo has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is a versatile grass. Not only is this tropical grass-like wood to a great extent but it’s also more sustainable. It is also among the world’s fastest-growing plants. Hardwoods need 60 to 70 years after planting to be good enough for creating furniture items. 

Bamboo can be used for creating furniture items within just four years of planting. It also needs fewer fertilizers or pesticides, making it even more environmentally friendly.

4. Use recycled metal

Scrap metal or recycled metal saves energy to a considerable extent and even reduces pollution. The sheen of a chair made from recycled aluminium effectively creates an industrial design in a home. It is also a good, sustainable option. Furniture created with plastics and recycled metal needs less processing and fewer resources. 

This is not the case with the furnishings created out of non-renewable materials. The greatest benefit of metal is that it can be recycled multiple times without degrading its properties.

5. Use biodegradable substances for different applications

There are certain substances that are biodegradable and can be used for various applications. One of them is bio-glass. Of course, you might not want to be seated on a chair made of bio-glass. Although it has certain negatives, there are many positives to it. For example, it’s an exceptional green alternative. 

It can be used for anything from items of decor to bathroom sinks, flooring, and countertops. Some of the homeowners include materials in their interior design that are made entirely of post-consumer recycled glass. This glass is heated and compressed to create solid-surfacing slabs.

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A sustainable interior design, therefore, can also be described as an eco-friendly interior design or eco-design. Sustainable practices used in the process of designing and decorating your home can reduce your carbon footprint. An eco-friendly interior design seeks to minimize waste, reduce the use of non-renewable materials, and create healthy surroundings. 

Creating interior designs that address the current and future environmental problems is the need of the hour. So, a sustainable design is, in a way, a long-term approach to ecological protection. Here are some of the prominent features of a sustainable interior design:

1. Energy-efficiency

One of the major factors that have contributed to the current environmental crisis is energy consumption by humans. Both residential and commercial units are responsible for large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the energy efficiency of single homes and residential and commercial buildings can be improved. This can be made possible with the efforts of architects and interior designers. 

Their designs can decrease the amount of energy required for lighting, air-conditioning, heating, and other purposes. Buildings can be provided with renewable and non-carbon-based energy. Interior designs can have a major influence on heating and lighting requirements. Most of the heat in a building can escape through the windows. 

It is, therefore, necessary that the windows provide good insulation and are of high quality. The sun’s heat and cold air from the outside can be controlled with the help of drapes and curtains. A building’s temperature can be controlled in an energy-efficient manner with the use of window coverings, blinds, or shades. Carpets are effective thermal insulators. They can retain nearly 10% of the heat of a room. 

You can also save energy by choosing the right colours for your home or office. Lighter colours, for instance, can reflect more light. Rooms that have darker walls and furnishings are the ones that need more artificial lighting. The heating and lighting systems of homes and offices can be controlled with the help of home automation systems today.

2. Reduction of waste

Interior designers hold greater power in their hands to reduce waste. This is only possible if they act with a sense of responsibility towards the sustainability of the environment. In the times that we live in, our planet’s natural resources have become even more valuable. Hence, the practice of discarding products simply because they’re out of style must be stopped. 

It’s harmful for our environment to just discard artificial materials that can pollute the air and water. Such materials can also harm the flora and fauna. Thankfully, increasing awareness of the need for sustainability has generated interest in recycling, repurposing, and other such practices. Some creative ways have been devised for using old but functional objects instead of simply discarding them. 

Using synthetic materials made from recycled waste is yet another practise that’s being implemented. With such methods, waste becomes raw material for creating new products. Thus, a new manufacturing and consumption cycle is being formed, which can effectively reduce or eliminate waste.

3. Durability and flexibility in design

It is important for interior designers to consider the lifespan of any material while creating sustainable designs. This can prevent the materials or products from getting discarded. Elements that are subject to a lot of wear and tear must be given much attention. One of the goals of sustainable interior designs must be to create timeless spaces. 

Individuals grow and change over a period of time. In this process, they often want their surroundings to grow and change with them. Interior designers must consider such needs of people and make the spaces flexible and adaptive. They must design flexible spaces and choose quality over quantity to achieve timelessness. 

Innovation can add in several options to flexible design. It can include walls that can be modified and items of furniture that are modular and adjustable. An interior design can suggest investment in elements that are sturdy, easy to clean, and durable. This can save money as such elements usually require a lot less renovation.

4. Minimizing environmental impact

When it comes to sustainability, only the products and materials with the lowest environmental impact must be chosen. Organic materials seem to be an obvious choice in recent times. It must not be forgotten that they are natural resources and must be given responsible treatment. 

This is the reason why renewable materials extracted responsibly are chosen for conscious living. The evaluation of such materials and products must happen at all levels of their life cycle. This includes extraction, processing, production, transportation, all the way to their discarding after use. 

5. Design of health ecosystem

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about certain changes in the lifestyle of humans across the world. People are spending most of their time indoors to maintain social distancing. So, it is important for designers to create healthy interiors in homes. They need to consider several factors in this process, such as heating, quality of air, ventilation, lighting, and acoustics. 

Some of the materials and products used in homes have high levels of toxic emissions. They are the root cause of air pollution indoors. Furniture or equipment, for instance, that are treated with harmful chemicals release dangerous toxins in the air. This is why designers must select materials responsibly. 

Materials that release lower levels of volatile organic compounds and other pollutants in the air must be chosen. This would significantly improve the indoor air quality. Plants facilitate proper circulation of air and keep it fresh. They also act as natural air filters. Carpets also play a similar role to some extent. 

They trap and hold dust particles, allergens, germs and other air pollutants until removed by a vacuum cleaner. Carpets also have the quality of being excellent sound insulators. They help in absorbing sound vibrations, which can be a boon to the occupants of a building.

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