Home decor is usually our way of making a space our own. Not only does it give us a sense of belonging, but decorating a space how we like makes us able to be comfortable in it. It is also a sense of self expression, and a very important way to show your tastes and the kind of person you are.
In fact, our surroundings have a very real impact on our mood. This is why people struggling with depression tend to have messier bedrooms, and while cleaning it all up doesn’t solve all our life’s problems, it does make you feel more in control of your situation than before!
The only problem with most home decor though, is that it’s not very eco friendly. Pieces often contain a lot of plastics and wood that’s not ethically sourced – especially if you’re shopping on a budget. Anyone trying to live more responsibly might have a problem with that, but that doesn’t mean you opt out of home decor entirely! Keep reading this article to find out more about how you can make your home decor more eco-friendly.
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Plants and Flowers
Whether you get them from an online flower shop, the local farmer’s market, or grow them yourself, plants and flowers are the ideal eco-friendly decor to place around your home. Sure, you might need to replace flower arrangements often, but that’s not the case if you have a small garden next to your window or indoor plants and flower pots hanging from the walls or ceilings. Even a small herb garden in your kitchen can add a whole new vibe to the place, not to mention how useful the herb garden would be.
There are a few things to be careful about if you’re getting your home decor from nature, though. Not all flowers in shops are ethically sourced, and imported flowers (especially ones that are out of season in your own country) might have been grown on farms where the labor is being underpaid and badly treated. These flowers are then flown in on airplanes to your country, which means that these flowers leave a huge carbon footprint, even though they’re plants.
Be careful to buy bouquets fom local small businesses, and to always get ones that are currently in season.
Thrift Your Decor
Not only would you be buying something that doesn’t hurt the environment, but you’ll also be reducing the overall amount of trash in the world by thrifting and recycling your decor.
You can find all manners of beautiful, timeless, and even vintage art pieces at local thrift stores that would fit perfectly with your home decor. Since 2020, it’s easier than ever to get your hands on thrifted decor online as well.
DIY and Recycle
Another great way to decorate your home ethically is to make all the decor yourself. You can make paintings, wall art, texture collages, drawings, sculptures with the help of polymer clay, beautiful items made out of paper mache and cardboard, and so much more to decorate your home with.
The internet is full of similar ideas – try paper flowers on a string or a DIY lamp shade of your choice, or go ahead and create something more beautiful like glass pressed flowers or even a statue made out of plaster of paris. With the help of a little non-toxic paint and other art supplies, you will be able to make stunning decor to spread around your home.
Shop From Sustainable Businesses
If you do want to shop and get your decor from manufacturers, look for ethical businesses that are transparent about where they get their materials from. Recycled plastics and ethically sourced wood is always a responsible option, and so is getting your decor from small businesses who pay their employees fairly.
This way you can support businesses who need it more, get something eco-friendly, as well as artfully designed. Most small businesses would be happy to do business with you and provide you with top-notch service, and you might even find one who is happy to help you with custom pieces. The only con here is that buying from them might be more expensive, but that is generally the case with ethical decor or any other products in the market today.
If you want to find the right business, look for one that is transparent about how their products are made, and whose packaging is as responsible as their products.
Non-Toxic Wall Paint
You might not have known, but even wall paint has elements that are toxic and harmful for the environment. Many contain ozone depleting contaminants and elements that can seep into the environment and damage groundwater reserves. Non-toxic paint is also easier to use and doesn’t smell as bad, and doesn’t contain any gasses and elements that would irritate anyone with sensitive lungs or allergies.
Not only this, but non-toxic paint is easier to clean and isn’t classified as hazardous waste. This means that by using non-toxic paint in your redesigns and room decor, you will be preventing the ozone layer from depleting more than it already has as well as making sure your immediate environment isn’t harmed.
Don’t Give Into Viral Trends
This isn’t exactly advice for what you can do, but advice for what you shouldn’t. Viral trends and fads go out of fashion just as quickly as they came into fashion, which is why it’s a bad idea to follow current trends while decorating your room. You should also avoid anything that feels like it would break apart quickly or something that you would need to throw away soon after purchasing it.
This is to avoid extra and unnecessary trash which would eventually harm the environment and stay in landfills for years.
Instead, invest in timeless decor and themes that will still look good even five to ten years down the line – this includes minimalist themes, decor inspired by the seasons, natural decor, soft, neutral colors, and natural textures like wood and organic fabrics.