Anatomy of an Eco-friendly Interior

Reduce Recycle Re-use.

What does eco-friendly mean?
In my opinion it is a way of relating to the environment in a positive way. It is way of considering nature, preserving it and living with it in harmony.

Think Eco-friendly!
Think eco-friendly and you will make eco-friendly choices and find eco-friendly solutions. Seek and you will find - look and you will see.

Thinking eco-friendly interior!
For your living spaces you want to have a clean environment that breathes, is fresh and inducive to your health and well-being. Your aim would be to reduce or totally exclude toxic/harmful materials and gases given off by the use of chemical components as well as finding ways to interact positively with the natural environment around you.

Tips to Making Eco-friendly interior choices
Know what you are looking for. Ask questions. You will find a lot of options, many are not 100% pure eco-friendly and you will need to weigh your options and make the best choice, after-all something is better than nothing.

FLOOR COVERINGS
What to look for: floor coverings made using plant and animal fibres as well as those made using natural and biodegradable materials.

What to avoid: Nylon, polypropylene and acrylic based carpets. They are cheaper and come in a large variety of colours, but Nylon releases nitrous oxide which contributes to the green-house effect and acid rain.

Rugs versus wall to wall carpeting: I personally prefer rugs, simply because you could remove them, have them cleaned outside and clean the floor beneath them inside. Wall to wall carpeting is difficult to clean, tends to trap dirt and insects and needs adhesives to glue to the ground (which usually contain toxin, non-eco-friendly elements).

Tips for rugs: to prevent rugs from 'running' all over the place, use rubber or other eco-friendly underlay as a non-skid base.

Reduce or totally avoid these: Toxic chemicals and synthetic compounds found in elements such as dyes, moth retardants, fire retardants, stain protectors, synthetic backing and adhesives and synthetic fibre for the primaries (the primary is the material the tufting machine uses to hold the fibre in place). Try to find eco-friendly alternatives if need be.

Some Eco-friendly Choices
Wool: animal wool is very durable, soft and long lasting. Sheep wool is the most used. It holds dye well and provides warmth. Some pollution is caused when preparing the wool for rugs such as fire retardants.

Silk: very expensive and allows delicate designs due to the very small knots used. They are very long lasting, need special care and are best used as small decorative, luxury pieces. On the negative side millions of silk worms are bred and killed for their silk and they feed only on mulberry leaves.

Cotton: the most known are kilims, although there are many other options. Some rugs are made from cotton fabric pieces (e.g. waste from tailor shops) - these are cheap and can be multi-purpose, though are not durable enough to be used for heave duty areas.

Sea-grass: is a common choice for homes- provides a natural look and comes in its natural colour - because it is stain-proof by nature. It is also slippery so is not a good choice for steps.

Coir: produces very hard wearing rugs - it is waste product of coconuts.

Sisal: produces soft, wear-resistant mats that can be used in bedrooms as well as living rooms and under furniture.

Linoleum: is manufactured from natural materials and is bio-degradable and comes in a variety of colours made from natural pigments. It is resilient and resistant to bacteria, waterproof, easily maintained and cleaned. It comes in tile form or rolls (for monolithic flooring). It is the eco-friendly option to vinyl flooring which is made mainly from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) combined with other synthetics and chemicals. Use eco-friendly adhesives like lignin to glue linoleum to the sub-floor.

Rubber: a natural material, resilient, water-proof and easy to clean. However do check to see if any chemicals have been added for more decorative effect.

Cork: the bark of the Cork Oak tree - Cork provides a warm, soft and natural look to the room. It is resilient, long lasting and has acoustic properties. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are not normally used in cork forest areas.

PAINTS
What to look for: bio-degradable, non-toxic materials. Always choose materials that come from sustainable sources.

What to avoid: toxic chemicals and compounds. Materials that, although may come from natural resources, need a lot of energy to produce and give off toxic by-products or harm the natural environment in any way.

About Paints
This is the most common wall finish. Choose paints that are derived from naturally occurring resources and that are prepared using safe ingredients and procedures (main concern is harm to our water system). These dyes usually come in powder form and are mixed with water. Look for low or 0% VOC (volatile organic compounds). Chemical based paints that flood the market - petrochemical, polyvinyl acrylic plastics ...etc) are cheaper and have high VOC levels. Although low VOC does not necessarily mean there are no other toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, ammonia and odour masking agents. Again read the labels, ask and weigh your options.

Some types of Eco-friendly paint choices: plant based paints that have ingredients such milk casein (yoghurt), titanium oxide, food emulsifiers, linseed oil (binder)...etc.

WALL COVERINGS
Wall paper: handmade wall paper made from wood pulp or recycled paper. Natural dyes for the prints are preferable to dyes from the chemical industry. Use non-toxic adhesives such as lignin.

Hessian (burlap): naturally occurring material, is buff colour by nature but can be dyed in other colours.

Fabrics: I think you can hang any fabric you like on the wall - you just need to consider the type of fabric, backing/lining type and adhesive or hanging methods.

Wood panels/cladding: do use wood jointing techniques to avoid/reduce using adhesives and nails. Make sure the wood is from sustainable sources. Use eco-friendly sealant and beeswax to finish of the surfaces of beautifully grained wood.

HOW TO BECOME GREEN - check out this step by step guide - follow the link:
http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsGuides/Index?gclid=CN2-68SN_pQCFQYaEAoduzs8qg

OTHER GREEN LINKS
http://www.greenhomeguide.com/index.php/knowhow/entry/649/

ECO FRIENDLY INTERIORS - check out these links:
http://www.annasova.com/catalog/asnavigation.asp?cat=shop
http://www.jute-industry.com/jute-handicrafts/jute-lamp-shades.html
http://www.use-uk.com/
http://www.greatgreengoods.com/2007/04/09/recycled-cardboard-lampshades/