The issue of global warming and climate change has been discussed for many years now, but it is only now that we feel its real consequences on our everyday lives. The only way to at least lessen the effect of these phenomena is to “go green,” which means conserving energy, reducing pollution, and using products that are eco-friendly.
Ordinary people can also help by going green with our own home décor. If you are living in a condominium, then you can also help the environment by making your own space eco-friendly. Don’t worry though because going green does not equate to being boring and out of style.
To help you on your way to green living, here are 11 eco-friendly design ideas you can adopt for your own condo space.
1. Use Eco-friendly Paint
If your condominium does not allow your walls to be painted, then you can at least paint your furniture to make your condo interior stylish.
When choosing a brand of paint for your redesign project, make sure to buy an eco-friendly one. Some paints are dangerous not only to the environment but also to your health. Eco-friendly paints are worth a try especially if you want to ensure that the air inside your condo is safe for breathing.
A wide array of eco-friendly paint colors is available for your choosing so you do not need to worry about the paint being bland and not suitable for your taste.
2. Add “Green” To Your Floor
Going green does not have to stop with your choice of paint, you can also decorate your flooring the eco-friendly way. When buying flooring, you can choose rugs or carpets that are made of renewable sources. Make sure that the rugs and carpets are not chemically treated to prevent the emission of harmful gases to your condo unit and to the environment.
3. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
Going green does not necessarily mean spending money. When redecorating your condo, you could use old items and turn them into new. For example, you could use no-longer-used books and turn them into your very own desk. By doing so, you will not only help your environment but also save some money in the process.
4. Keep Those Jars
Instead of throwing your glass jars, you can put sand inside them and use them as candleholders. You can also paint the jar lids (using eco-friendly paint) and use them to store your rice, cookies, and pasta. You can also use these redesigned jars to store your jam preserves and sauces.
5. Save The Couch
Are you tired of the design of your old sofas and chairs and wanted to throw them and buy new ones instead? Don’t do it yet! Instead of replacing your old sofas and chairs, you can hire an upholsterer to give those four-legged furniture a new look.
Reupholstering may even cost much less than buying new, and unless your sofas and chairs are very old and worn out, most upholsterers also give the sofa and chair frame an overhaul and even repair faulty springs as part of their job.
6. Buying furniture? Go Natural
If your sofas and chairs are beyond repair, then you could consider buying furniture made out of low-emission natural materials, such as untreated cotton and hardwood frames.
Pieces of furniture made out of natural components are healthy for you and the environment. Plus, they add a vintage look to your condo unit.
7. Make Your Own Miniature Garden
Growing a garden in your condo doesn’t necessarily mean you need a wide space. Even when living in a condo unit, you can still satisfy your green thumb by opting for plants that can thrive indoors, for example, anahaw, palmera, many types of bromeliads, and spider plants.
You can also add stones and miniature figures or put the plants inside fish bowls or large glasses to spice up your own indoor mini-garden. Your creativity is the only limit.
These plants will not only purify the air in your condo space, but will also be good silent company in your home.
8. Use Natural Elements To Your Advantage
Going on a vacation? If yes, then don’t forget to pick up nature souvenirs before going home. Stones and seashells of different sizes, pinecones, tree branches, and driftwood, among others, when creatively displayed in bowls or on bookshelves or a coffee table, could pass as wonderful ornaments.
9. Transform Your Old Sheets Into New Items
Those old sheets lying inside your wardrobe for years can be transformed into shower curtains, window curtains, or pillow shams. Not only will you save money (new curtains cost a lot nowadays), you will also get to create your own design.
10. Replace Those Incandescent Bulbs (but don’t throw them away)
To brighten your condo space, opt for energy-efficient lighting, such as compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs. CFL and LED light bulbs are more energy efficient compared with ordinary incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. Using CFL and LED light bulbs will lessen your electricity bill and will help the environment in the long run.
You can then add designs to your old incandescent or fluorescent bulbs and make them into ornaments.
11. Buy Second-hand Furniture or Create Your Own Furniture
When redesigning your condo interior, consider using second-hand furniture instead of buying new ones. Aside from saving on energy and materials required to create new items, recycled pieces of furniture are also cheaper but still serve the same purpose as their new counterparts.
If you think you can handle it, you can also create your own furniture out of everyday materials. For example, you could turn an old tire into an ottoman, a coffee table, or you can add it in your own mini-garden—the possibilities are endless.
These eco-friendly redesign ideas will not only make your condo better looking and stylish but will also help the environment and lessen your carbon footprint. Going green at your own condo space will help reduce the effects of global warming and climate change and thus, in the long run, will make our planet a better place to live in.
