If you’re currently owning a house or a flat and thinking about improving your living space but unsure whether green design is right for you, start on a low budget and test-drive the sustainable ideas. Why not making it your family’s first DIY project. Pick one room and finish it. Don’t rip all your house apart only to discover that you hate all this green stuff.
You can all pretend to be an architect team, throw in the ideas and make a plan. This is important. For any design project to work, you need a plan, a budget and a resolve to stick to it. Many self-made designers and property developers have run into problems refusing to sticking to their initial plans.
Try to source the materials locally, contact your local joineries, enquire about the origins of materials you will be using. You don’t want to encourage CO2-smokin Asia or rainforest abuse, do you? The thing is that many small joineries are simply too small to bother importing lumber from abroad.
Things you will probably need for you first green home design project:
- Sustainable or locally produced lumber
- Wallpapers from recycled materials
- Cork sheets for insulation
- Natural linoleum for flooring (or you might use wood or cork for flooring)
- Eco-friendly paints
- Mould treatment for the walls
- 2nd hand furniture (no chipboards though) or brand new one made of metal or sustainable materials
- Eco-light bulbs
- Creativity and positive attitude
If no structural changes or facade modifications involved, you don’t really need a professional architect to assist you. Just use your creativity. Finished with one room and liked the result? Start planning for the whole home refurbishment and this time think about switching to a greener source of energy. Top 10 ways to improve your home might be a helpful read.
The blog was absolutely fantastic! Lots of great information and enthusiasm, both of which we all need!