We all love living in beautiful, welcoming homes. You may also love knowing that you’re doing something for the earth.

Green living is only becoming more prevalent these days. There are many interior design choices you can make to ensure your home does the least amount of harm to the planet possible. Here are some easy changes you can make to your home today.

First of all, make sure you get your home insulated well. In an average home, a huge amount of all the energy spent is on artificial heating and cooling. Getting professionally installed insulation can mean a lot of money, and further harm to the environment.

Draught excluders can be bought fairly inexpensively, or you can make your own for even less! AO Life did a great tutorial on DIY draught excluders. Once you have a few of these, sniff out the most draughty places in your home and seal them up!

Another way you can have greener heating is using an open fire. Of course, this is only possible if you have an older home. Check if you have a fireplace in your home that’s been walled up for years. Using a log fire will help you to both save money and stay green.

If you’re planning to do a lot of extensive remodelling, then you may be in the market for certain building materials. The resources you choose may seem like a given, but you can still make green decisions when choosing what to build with. There are a range of sustainable materials which not only function well but can look great with some clever design choices.

Look out for recycled plastic and glass, as well as reclaimed timber. Choosing certain raw materials can also make your home more eco-friendly in the long run. Linoleum, cork and bamboo are all particularly fast-growing materials, and are much greener options compared to other hardwood flooring materials.

You should also stay away from paint containing VOCs (volatile organic compounds.) These are made from environmentally harmful sources, and can give off fumes which lead to health problems.

When you’re planning out your big re-design, spend a lot of time thinking about lighting. If it’s within your budget, you might want to install some new windows, and make the most of free, natural light. This will cut down the cost of electricity for your home, and ensure you don’t use more energy than you need to.

Get a few more mirrors for rooms to really maximise the natural light you get. Obviously, you can’t rely on this all the time. LED lights are another way you can shave some numbers off your electricity bill, and help the world in the process.

There you have just a few easy things to incorporate into your interior design plans. Think it all through, and you’ll find it easier than you’d imagined to have a home that’s both gorgeous and green. Aside from that, watch your carbon footprint, keep recycling, and carry on pestering your friends about the environment!

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