Present2Sell - By The Dart July 2010
Living lightly - green your home
Why green?
People have many different reasons for wanting to 'green' their home - some have health concerns about the toxicity of commonplace items such as carpet and paint, while ethical concerns compel others to buy only products that are fair trade. A desire to minimise harm to the environment will drive yet others to source responsibly produced and harvested materials. Even if doubts exist about the effects of global warming, there can be little doubt about other negative human impacts on nature, such as pollution and destruction of natural habitat.
Circle of influence
So if we are concerned and want our purchasing choices to reflect that, what's on offer? At one end of the spectrum is the commissioned eco-house, underpinned with eco-design principles of zero-carbon (heat-recovery ventilation systems, energy provision from renewable sources), zero-waste (local recyling of both construction and habitation waste, composting) and a sustainable water system (grey and rain water recyling, low-flush loos). And at the other end are those whose ambitions extend no further than their interior space. And we shouldn't minimise the impact of a small sphere of influence. Oliver Heath, author of Urban Eco Chic Interiors, says, "Beautiful eco interiors reflect environmental aspirations whilst creating spaces that reduce use of resources (gas, water, electricity), make the most of sustainable materials, and encourage the use of recycled materials"
Eco-attitude
Such eco-design principles readily translate for interiors:
- zero-carbon becomes buying local to reduce distribution, buying quality (to get longevity, sorry fashionistas!), planning rooms around the track of the sun to minimise heating requirements and buying things that have flexible uses to shrink our consuming footprint.
- zero-waste recycling can be applied to furniture and soft furnishings, for example, unwanted curtains can be transformed into cushion covers or bed heads and many soft-furnishing makers will do this sort of work.
- rainwater is something that comes to us for free and using it sustainably just means hanging onto it a bit. Instead of buying new decorative items, look out for the many nature-finds we can use for decoration - shells, fossils, delicate animal skulls, dried grasses, feathers, seed pods all have their own beauty.
Material point
If you're now poised to go eco-friendly shopping, choose furniture constructed of sustainable materials made in an environmentally low-impact fashion. For outdoor furniture, consider wrought iron, recycled plastic and recovered metal but reject foam whenever possible in furniture that requires cushioning since it emits gases. In beds, futons and sofas, choose organic cotton padding, latex or kapok or better yet, go for pieces that have been designed ergonomically, with curves and contours that banish the need for polyester filler.
Furniture
Sustainable timber is one of the best ecological structural materials, having low embedded costs and the ability to fix carbon. Roy Tam's Dorset workshop produces beautiful steamed solid ash furniture (www.eco-furniture.co.uk) that ticks all the right eco-boxes. Tim Rigby, owner of www.ecokitchensonline.com creates a range of innovative freestanding kitchen units made from strawboard, a formaldehyde-free material. They are sturdy enough to be repositioned or even taken with you when you move house! The custom-made units are crafted from sustainable oak and recycled straw and are the first of their kind in the UK. Recycled yogurt pots take on a new life as worktops and upstands in this truly eco-business - even the handles are locally crafted from recylced glass and metal!
Fabric
If it's fabric you're after, hemp, ingeo and sasawashi all offer interesting options - and hemp, which is grown in the UK, provides more than two times the twine and fabric that cotton and trees do, for the same acreage. Take a look at www.oecotextiles.com for their sumptuously textured fabrics in a luscious range of colours. Google wellcultivated.co.uk for the low-down on all the latest eco-fabric news.
Walls
Paints and wallpapers that are produced without toxicity are still in the minority but those that are in the market clearly don't sacrifice style for sustainability. Auro and Nutshell paints are both local to Devon. You can mix the base paint and pigments yourself or oder from a colour card. For a fun and funky rage of eco-wallpapers, look no further than Harlands Organic Furnishings.
Accessories
And of course, you'll only want to accessorise with the best, so why not visit Colin Firth's very own shop! At www.eco-age.com, you'll find an inspiring array of beautiful things which are all responsibly sourced and fairly traded. Closer to home is www.thepaperflorist.co.uk for a delicious selection of beautifully handmade origami flowers that last for ever!
