In this journal entry, we’re exploring sustainability and eco-conscious options in home living and interior design.
Why should we care about the environment, anyway? Well, aside from the fact that destroying the environment has the knock-on effect of destroying ourselves—a pretty important reason!—it’s always good to give back. And what beautiful gifts nature has given to us!
While we can’t stop billionaires jetting around the world or herds of cows farting (seriously, cattle emissions make up a few % of greenhouse gases), we can optimize our homes with sustainable practices. Sustainable decor is an easy way to consciously make eco-friendly choices without sacrificing anything. In fact, far from sacrificing anything, it’s a great way to give your home a bit of a glow-up.
Why Should We Choose Sustainable Home Décor?
Every choice counts in our world today as we deal with climate change and slowly run out of natural resources. Eco-friendly decor is a way of reducing that environmental footprint by using environmentally friendly means, methods, and materials.
It should come as no shock, but many traditional decor items are made with an array of chemicals and toxins. For instance, common paints typically include VOCs, which can release harmful vapors long after that initial paint job. Most factory-made and mass-produced decor and artwork items can cause pollution and waste and contribute to the loss of forests and natural habitats. However, sustainable products counter this, causing very little to no harm to the atmosphere.
Sustainable Materials: The Core Component of Eco-Friendly Design
Sustainable materials are the primary building blocks and the first port of call when thinking about eco-friendly home design. Some of our favorite materials include:
- Bamboo: Bamboo is probably one of the most well-known, traditional sustainable material choices in both construction and home decor. It’s widely used in Asia, where we’re based, in both home and garden. It grows quickly and provides incredible durability while looking absolutely beautiful. Its soft golden hues and elegant, lightweight feel are what make our bamboo fish trap pendant light so popular.
- Cork: Not just for wine bottles! Nowadays interior designers love to incorporate a bit of cork as a trendy home design material, particularly in floor and wall coverings. One of the cool things about cork is that it is actually made by stripping only the bark of cork oak trees (Quercus suber) without hurting the tree itself, making it a renewable resource.
- Reclaimed wood: Another great choice is reclaimed wood. It brings old wood back to life and gives your home a unique look with tons of variety thanks to the plethora of wood species available. From reclaimed wood tabletops to washed-up driftwood hanging as decoration, the possibilities are endless.
- Organic cotton: Cotton is everywhere – it’s ideal for making pillows, curtains, t-shirts, upholstery, and everything in between. Going organic with your cotton is a simple and relatively inexpensive choice that is fantastic for both the planet’s health and yours, thanks to its cultivation without pesticides.
- Jute: This long-lasting fiber made from the jute plant is making a bit of a splash in the interior design world lately. We’ve seen some unique stuff around, including jute rugs, table mats, and even furniture wrapped in rope. You can get your DIY on with jute too and make everything from hammocks, wall hangings, and lampshades. Also, we stock a natural wood & jute rope pendant light kit, ideal for a natural light fixture look.
- Recycled Metal: Can you really combine industrial and eco-friendly design? It seems like a bit of a challenge at first thought, but recycled metal makes it a whole lot easier than you’d think. Reclaimed and recycled aluminum and steel can be used to make fixtures and decorations that last longer and cost less than new materials.
Scrap metal art is pretty awesome too. We have a famous recycled scrap metal art designer here in Thailand who makes incredible life-size metal sculptures and statues of famous movie characters, animals, and real-world characters.
Controlled Energy Efficient Appliances
Second only to materials in our mind is energy use. After all, green home design cannot be achieved without minimizing energy usage. We all want lower energy bills and can both save money and reduce carbon emissions through energy-efficient appliances.
We’re not quite living in the world of The Jetsons, but we’re not too far off, with a host of new technologies available for the average home. For instance, you can save water and money by installing an energy-efficient shower head. Or take lighting, for example – our bread and butter. Other than LEDs, fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) last up to 10 times longer and use 70–90% less energy than old lights. Also, halogen incandescent bulbs use 25–30% less energy than older lamp technology. These are simple, no-brainer choices that don’t break the bank and are equally as stylish, if not more so, than older technologies.
Local Artisans and Handcrafted Décor
Supporting local shops, artists, and artisans (like us!) is another way to achieve that sustainable decor checkmark. When you buy handcrafted décor, you’re supporting traditional craftsmanship, the local economy, and dare we say, giving the finger to mass-produced junk churned out in polluting factories the world over. Plus, this often leads to more handcrafted goodies, as with increased demand, artisans are able to make a living and are increasingly motivated to expand their works and vision. Win-win!
If possible, go out and explore a few local craft fairs or vintage markets and you’ll no doubt discover handmade pottery or woven baskets for sale. If you don’t have any craft markets near you, don’t worry; there are plenty of online stores like this one (hey!) that are dedicated to sustainable crafts. The thing about handmade products, the thing that makes them so special to us at least, is that people genuinely put a lot of thought and care into making them. They are made with love and passion, full of unique charm.
Upcycle & Recycle Old Items for Inspired Decor Touches
Recycling and/or upcycling breathes new life into things while cutting down on waste and resources. Again, our woven fish trap pendant light is a perfect example of this, transformed from a simple woven fish trap basket to an elegant and unique light fixture. You don’t have to completely change the use, though; sometimes just a lick of paint is enough. Here are a few simple upcycling ideas for the home:
- You could turn an old ladder into a bookcase or transform a wine box into a storage unit.
- Wooden boxes or pallets can be turned into garden furniture or a coffee table. Upcycling pallets in particular is a popular DIY trend, with tons of pallet furniture ideas on Pinterest and other social media sites.
- An easy but effective idea: give your old furniture a new look by painting it or getting some new upholstery or fabric covering.
- You can use glass jars for decorating storage or planters.
- You can turn old doors into bed frames or vintage farmhouse-style tables.
Decorating with Indoor Plants
Indoor houseplants are a wonderful investment for better indoor air quality and healthy living. Snake plants and spider plants are among the best houseplants for improving the air quality and general vibe of space. Snake plants especially – their pointy leaves don’t just look cool, they’re like nature’s own air purifier. The leaves absorb horrible toxins and produce lots of oxygen.
Aside from looking nice, indoor plants also make your space feel calm and relaxed. We think you honestly can’t go wrong when using plants to decorate. Not only are there a wide variety of species to choose from (approximately 10,000 houseplant species are available commercially!) but you can move them around and position them in various spots with ease. Put a few together to make a focal point or let one plant stand out. Make a wild jungle-inspired space or just add a few small potted plants – there are endless options.
Tips to Incorporate Sustainable Décor in Modern Homes
Sustainable interior design has numerous perks for your health, planet, and bank account. Here are some of our own little tips that can help you to decorate your home sustainably.
- Choose everlasting and classy decor pieces that are made by humans, not machines.
- When painting, look for eco-friendly paints – we kid you not, they do exist! We’re big fans of Little Greene, a little-known, family-run luxury paint and wallpaper company based in the UK that specializes in eco-friendly paint and wallpaper. They have a dazzling collection of paint that is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, both water and oil-based. Get this – they even have vegetable-oil-based vegan paint (I bet you didn’t realize that was a thing!). Highly recommended.
- Use natural fabrics like jute or natural dyes like indigo in your home design. Indigo plant dye is quite special to us, as it’s used to create many of our cushions and tribal ottomans that feature textiles sourced from local hill tribes.
- Use natural filling for pillows and cushions. Organic cotton on the outside and something like kapok as a fill. We’re huge fans of kapok pillow filling – our cushions, ottomans, and pillows are all available with kapok-filled inserts.
Join Us in Championing Sustainability
Horn tooting time! We think our eco-friendly credentials speak for themselves. We use bamboo as a main element for our handcrafted lighting, our wall art is handmade and handwoven, and our textiles are made using natural dyes and traditional weaving methods. Through these choices, we actively promote and champion sustainability and invite you to do the same.
With love,
The Lanna Passa Team
