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| jinbiban.com |
Earth day will be celebrated this week and it's a timely reminder of how the interior design industry
is now embracing eco-friendly and sustainable products in all projects. One of my childhood fantasies was to live in a tree house, open to the air and surrounded by nature. All the structures
and furnishings would be made from gathered materials. That fantasy is not far from reality with
all the options available to the designer today. It is certainly possible to create luxurious interiors
that are also practical and environmentally safe. The following photos feature rooms furnished
with antiques and second-hand pieces in the time-honored tradition of reusing beautiful old items
in the design schemes. Whether the rooms are elegant, bohemian or contemporary, each of them
helps to save our environment with furniture that has been refurbished or repurposed and looks completely new.
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| francotechnogap.com |
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| denoxa.com |
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| francotechnogap.com |
I'm always happy to suggest using reclaimed and recycled materials to create new uses for them.
Old hardwoods , bricks and ironwork are especially popular for new installations to give
an aged and time-worn look to a living space. In the photos below, new barstools have been made
from old wood, a bathroom door is a reclaimed panel from a barn, a new headboard is made from old planks, an old tabletop covered in reused stainless steel looks gorgeous in the all -white modern kitchen, recycled glass tiles brighten a bathroom, and repurposed pendant lights add interest to a dining area.
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| ljacobsendesign.com |
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| nieidealna-perfekcjonistka.blogspot.com |
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| pfgrenada.com |
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| homebunch.com |
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| liftupthyneighbor.com |
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| arcardianhome.com |
One of my favorite ways to introduce an eco-friendly ambiance to interiors is to recommend
live greens in the form of houseplants, trees and flowers. Not only do they add natural beauty
to the home, they also absorb household pollution and make the air cleaner for us to breathe.
The following photos confirm that live plants are appropriate in any room.
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| homedit.com |
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| cozyliving.ph.com |
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| interiordev.com |
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| interiorholic.com |
Saving on energy costs is possible with ceiling fans used instead of air-conditioning and large , open
windows made with low e-glass. Clean , healthy air is circulated in the bedroom and bathroom below.
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| leazerbrothers.com |
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| thislovelyhome.com |
Carpets and rugs provide warmth and beauty to floors but they can include toxins that are harmful to people and the environment. I think it's best to specify natural products like sisal, wool and cotton for floor coverings, as in the photos below.
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| interior-designplus.com |
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| girraweenhouse.com |
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| saatvamattress.com |
With the widespread use of radiant underfloor heating elements, natural wood floors are comfortable
and free of dirt and dust that collect in carpets. Interiors with sustainable hardwood flooring , as well
as stone and tile, complement organic upholstery fabrics and promote a healthy lifestyle for the homeowner.
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| oaktreelife.com |
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| sipsoups.com |
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| dellacooks.com |
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| frive.us |
The choices are endless in today's market for eco-friendly products to furnish interiors. Low mounted gravity flush toilets, natural fibers for window treatments, paints with low VOC's (volatile organic compound), energy efficient lighting and appliances are all selections one can make for a sustainable and environmentally happy home. I particularly like the following example of a homegrown tabletop for a "green" dining experience. What can you do to make your home ready for Earth Day?
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| sipsoups.com |
