How to take your first steps to “Ecofying” your Home?
It’s 2023 and Eco Friendly Design is taking the design world by storm! Yep, it is pretty much second nature thinking for a lot of us in our homes and as Interior Designers. I am not just talking about adding the odd green plant. I am talking about Ethical Paint Finishes/Wallpaper, Low Impact Materials, Sustainable Lighting and Recycled Furnishings. A Design Approach that will also create a more nurturing and healthier environment for you to live in.
Now, I am not telling you to throw your whole house out, in order to “Ecofy” your home. As that wouldn’t be Eco Friendly! If we all make small changes this can make a real difference. Let’s take a look at a few brands that can get you inspired and move you towards a more sustainable home.
Image By Aaron Markwell via COAT
Environmentally Friendly Paint Brands
Giving those walls a fresh look is just one way a small change can make a huge impact to your home. COAT, LICK and Edward Bulmer are just a few brands who can help you embrace that “greener” aesthetic to your space. Goodbye to horrible toxic smells and hello to cleaner Eco Paint Finishes!
Read on to learn more about these planet saving paints:
COAT.
”Climate Positive Paint” , it says it on the tin! Sustainability is at the core of this gorgeous paint brand….Less waste, clean materials and supporting Charity Crisis UK, to help end homelessness, is just a few things that make this brand stand out from the paint crowd. Paints are also made to order to help cut waste and delivery is quick so you can crack on with that fresh makeover in no time at all. Not only that, you could also be painting your room with COATS range of sustainable painting supplies made from regenerative bamboo!! A deeply environmentally conscious brand helping to change the way we paint our planet.
LICK.
A ‘lick” of paint goes a long way! Firstly, those handy “peel and stick” samples allow for no mess when it comes to paint sampling at home. You can move samples around your room and you don’t have to worry about those little toxic paint sample pots going into landfill. One thing I love about this brand is the community spirit. LICK really does have you (the customer) at the heart of their brand. Online Colour Consultants to help you choose your perfect palette and Decorating Experts to hand to give you advice on your Interior project. A brand that will help you transform those walls from your first stroke to your last!
Edward Bulmer.
Designed by Interior Designer Edward Bulmer himself, this brand really does have saving the planet at the top of its priority list. If you are looking for a plant based, vegan alternative this is a brand to go for, packed full of natural ingredients. Edward has curated a beautiful collection of “pioneering plant based” paint colours that delights the senses…a vision of earthy/natural tones and no nasties odourless finishes. Whats not to love in an eco paint brand!
Image By C.F.A Voysey via CommonRoom
2. Eco Friendly Wallcoverings
For the love of wall coverings….Such a great way to introduce a funky feature wall or bring a fresh new look to your room. They come in all sorts of colours, designs and yes….they can be Eco Friendly too! Whilst there are many benefits to using paint, wall coverings add longevity and durability to your home just that extra level of sustainable goodness. Lets look at a few Eco Friendly Wallpaper brands:
CommonRoom.
A recent discovery of mine, Common Room, is a stunning wallpaper brand whose ethos just oozes sustainability. From minimising waste by manufacturing in small batches using non-toxic materials, printing to order and using local UK suppliers to help reduce their carbon footprint. Not only that, the wall coverings are created from FSC certified trees AND every roll of wallpaper sold…a tree is planted! This brand has sustainability covered from all corners…their wall coverings even have long lifecycles so you can recycle, redecorate over them, and safely dispose of with the reassurance no landfill is in sight.
FACT…75% of their wallpapers are recycled, the rest turned into energy. To top it all, the designs are just stunning!
Little Greene.
It says it in on the paint tin…Little Greene is another eco friendly wallpaper brand I would highly recommend. With its extensive range of gorgeous colours, patterns and designs you have so much to choose from. Better yet, you can walk away knowing you have brought a roll of wallpaper created from FSC or PEFC certificated sustainable forests AND the best bit….“for every tree used, another four are planted”! The pigments in their printing process are also totally non-toxic. And if this brand isn’t “Greene” enough already, you can even buy a solvent free wallpaper paste to apply your gorgeous new design to your wall!
Sandberg Wallpaper.
Another favourite of mine is Sandberg Wallpaper. A delightful brand that threads sustainability throughout the wallpaper journey. Inspired by their Swedish landscapes, they believe nature to be an important source of inspiration for their wallpaper colours and designs. No nasty toxins, sustainably sourced materials and free from allergenic substances…this is a brand that brings premium sustainable quality right to your walls. And to top up that tin of sustainable goodness, this brand also supports local charity organisations such as Habitat for Humanity.
Image By Tom Raffield via Tom Raffield
3. Sustainable Lighting
Lighting is one the most important features in a room. Not only do they allow us to see our gorgeous Interiors but they also become beautiful objects that compliment the rest of the space. Lighting is impactful and comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes and yes!…Eco Friendly materials. And there are many lighting companies out there that are creating a positive impact towards a sustainable future.
Read on to discover a few of these eco friendly lighting guru’s!
Tom Raffield.
Handcrafted in Cornwall, Tom Raffield’s Lighting is one to turn heads when it comes to Sustainability. People and Planet always come first with this brand. The company creates unique designs that are inspired by nature. They are made from long lasting quality materials, using ecological techniques with low energy impact and minimal waste. Any wood waste is donated to local companies to reuse or off cuts taken home by staff to heat their homes. Don’t you just love our circular economy!!
Tala.
Watch out for this one as Tala is on a mission to becoming the “world’s definitive zero carbon lighting brand". One not to miss! They are LED based and focus on creating Lighting that is long lasting. Their “Right to Repair” movement, ensures the products can be easily maintained, fixed or easily disassembled for recycling. Not on only that, Tala’s high quality materials “minimises end-of-life impacts” and ensures the use of materials have recyclable qualities.
NKUKU.
Definitely one of my favourites and I am lucky enough to have NKUKU’s Lifestyle Store right on my doorstep….dangerous I know!! Ethical, Eco Friendly and Handmade this brand is just beautiful inside and out. They celebrate the hand craftsmanship of artisans across the world and ensure traditional skills are not lost but celebrated. They focus on natural and recycled materials and collaborate with other industries ensuring left over waste material is given a new lease of life and turned into beautiful products we can use in our own homes!
So there you have it….even if its a lick of paint, a roll of wallpaper or some shiny new lighting….you are taking your first steps towards Ecofying your Home. Small changes make such a difference and hopefully you can start inspiring others to make these changes too.
