How to Make Your Home a Whole Lot Greener
Create a more eco-friendly zone at home without sacrificing style in the process
Robin Braithwaite
10 February 2016
Houzz Australia Contributor. I am a freelance writer who loves beautiful interiors, sumptuous textiles, great design and social media as a means to connect with the design community.
Houzz Australia Contributor. I am a freelance writer who loves beautiful interiors,... More
These days, we all want to lessen the impact our everyday lives have on the environment, and we are often told that the best way to do this is to start at home. Separating the recycling, using natural cleaning products and switching off the lights are all great starting points. If you want to take the next step, however, there are bigger changes you can make to the design of your home, which will have a much greater effect. And, thanks to the increasing popularity of green living, there are so many sustainable options to choose from that you can easily find something to suit your home’s style.
Breathe easy
Up to 80 percent of a building’s surface is covered in paint. Painting a room is a quick and cheap way to completely change its look and feel. However, it’s important to consider the environmental and health impacts of house paints before you start.
The air we breathe inside buildings can have a potentially detrimental effect on our health. Exposure to paints high in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea, and can lead to more serious long-term health problems. Children are particularly vulnerable to toxins emitted from VOCs. Choose low- or zero-VOC paints. Most paint companies in Australia now carry such ranges.
Tips for painting interiors
Up to 80 percent of a building’s surface is covered in paint. Painting a room is a quick and cheap way to completely change its look and feel. However, it’s important to consider the environmental and health impacts of house paints before you start.
The air we breathe inside buildings can have a potentially detrimental effect on our health. Exposure to paints high in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea, and can lead to more serious long-term health problems. Children are particularly vulnerable to toxins emitted from VOCs. Choose low- or zero-VOC paints. Most paint companies in Australia now carry such ranges.
Tips for painting interiors
Get on the floor
Choose floors made from recycled materials. These materials are not just interesting, they’re innovative and highly efficient, too. Polished glass-inlaid concrete floors, for example, are durable, low in VOCs and absorb sunlight during winter to help warm the house. The material feels great underfoot, and as the sun moves during the day, it highlights different colours in the glass.
Innovations in eco-friendly flooring mean that the choices are endless and evolving. Here are some popular ones:
Choose floors made from recycled materials. These materials are not just interesting, they’re innovative and highly efficient, too. Polished glass-inlaid concrete floors, for example, are durable, low in VOCs and absorb sunlight during winter to help warm the house. The material feels great underfoot, and as the sun moves during the day, it highlights different colours in the glass.
Innovations in eco-friendly flooring mean that the choices are endless and evolving. Here are some popular ones:
- cork – made from a renewable source; can be finished with low-VOC paints; and stains to suit your design style
- linoleum – created from linseed oil, cork dust, tree resins, wood flour, pigments and ground limestone; is durable and comes in a vast array of colours
- concrete – is a sustainable material growing in popularity; and is extremely durable, easy to clean and long lasting
- reclaimed hardwood – gives rare, old growth timber a new lease on life; is durable, has great character and, as it’s been repurposed, it won’t end up in landfill
- bamboo – is sustainable, durable and easy to maintain
Keep your kitchen clean and green
Eliminate toxic substances in your food preparation area and improve the air quality in your kitchen by choosing low-VOC kitchen cabinets. The choices and sources of recycled or sustainable timber are increasing every day, as ecological choices become mainstream in design.
And as sustainable options become more readily available, your choice of benchtop products will include an array of eco-friendly options. These include everything from those made from post-consumer paper products and bamboo fibre, manufactured in a non-toxic way, to recycled plastic hand basins and benchtops. If you love timber, choose timber benchtops made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests, or source recycled timber. FSC timber has a chain of custody, so you can be certain it came from a sustainable source.
Eliminate toxic substances in your food preparation area and improve the air quality in your kitchen by choosing low-VOC kitchen cabinets. The choices and sources of recycled or sustainable timber are increasing every day, as ecological choices become mainstream in design.
And as sustainable options become more readily available, your choice of benchtop products will include an array of eco-friendly options. These include everything from those made from post-consumer paper products and bamboo fibre, manufactured in a non-toxic way, to recycled plastic hand basins and benchtops. If you love timber, choose timber benchtops made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests, or source recycled timber. FSC timber has a chain of custody, so you can be certain it came from a sustainable source.
Conserve water in the wet room
Nearly 65 per cent of water usage occurs in the bathroom, so this is the obvious place to start when it comes to clean and green design options.
Stylish, well-designed bathrooms can be built on a tight budget, but even a more expensive and elaborate bathroom can quickly pay for itself over time, particularly if you use high efficiency showerheads and taps.
Installing a low-flow toilet is another great way to conserve water. Older style toilets can wash away up to 12 litres of clean drinking water per flush, while the new low-flow varieties use as little as 4 litres. This, according to the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme, can account for up to 22 per cent of overall water savings in the home. Toilets have an efficiency star rating and water consumption label, so when you’re picking a new one, aim for a minimum 3-star rating.
Tips on conserving water
Nearly 65 per cent of water usage occurs in the bathroom, so this is the obvious place to start when it comes to clean and green design options.
Stylish, well-designed bathrooms can be built on a tight budget, but even a more expensive and elaborate bathroom can quickly pay for itself over time, particularly if you use high efficiency showerheads and taps.
Installing a low-flow toilet is another great way to conserve water. Older style toilets can wash away up to 12 litres of clean drinking water per flush, while the new low-flow varieties use as little as 4 litres. This, according to the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme, can account for up to 22 per cent of overall water savings in the home. Toilets have an efficiency star rating and water consumption label, so when you’re picking a new one, aim for a minimum 3-star rating.
Tips on conserving water
Use recycled materials
This bathroom has a recycled glass tile splashback. Recycled glass tiles are usually made from a combination of silica and pre- and post-consumer bottled glass from kerbside recycling programs. Using them in the bathroom is another great way to reduce your environmental impact.
This bathroom has a recycled glass tile splashback. Recycled glass tiles are usually made from a combination of silica and pre- and post-consumer bottled glass from kerbside recycling programs. Using them in the bathroom is another great way to reduce your environmental impact.
Wash it away
Front-loading washing machines are popular for good reason: they are efficient, use less water, free up vertical space allowing for storage on top, and can be stacked behind a closed door. Front loaders are also much gentler on your laundry than a top loader. Use the energy-efficiency star rating system to choose the most efficient machine.
TIP: Did you know that about 90 per cent of the energy used to do your laundry is associated with heating the water? Change the setting on the machine to cold for most loads.
Front-loading washing machines are popular for good reason: they are efficient, use less water, free up vertical space allowing for storage on top, and can be stacked behind a closed door. Front loaders are also much gentler on your laundry than a top loader. Use the energy-efficiency star rating system to choose the most efficient machine.
TIP: Did you know that about 90 per cent of the energy used to do your laundry is associated with heating the water? Change the setting on the machine to cold for most loads.
Sleep on it
Consider installing ceiling fans in bedrooms instead of expensive and energy hungry air-con. Most people are familiar with fan use during the hotter months; they’re great for circulating hot air and promoting evaporation of perspiration, resulting in a cooling effect. But what about during the colder months? Heat rises, so most of the warmth you are seeking in winter is hovering very close to the ceiling. A ceiling fan, running clockwise on low speed can push the warm air back down to where you are.
Using a ceiling fan efficiently can shave up to 10 per cent off your annual heating costs. Used in conjunction with heating and cooling systems, fans ensure that you can run these systems more efficiently, allowing you to set the thermostat lower, saving power and saving money, too.
TIP: Ensure any ceiling fan you buy can be run in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.
Consider installing ceiling fans in bedrooms instead of expensive and energy hungry air-con. Most people are familiar with fan use during the hotter months; they’re great for circulating hot air and promoting evaporation of perspiration, resulting in a cooling effect. But what about during the colder months? Heat rises, so most of the warmth you are seeking in winter is hovering very close to the ceiling. A ceiling fan, running clockwise on low speed can push the warm air back down to where you are.
Using a ceiling fan efficiently can shave up to 10 per cent off your annual heating costs. Used in conjunction with heating and cooling systems, fans ensure that you can run these systems more efficiently, allowing you to set the thermostat lower, saving power and saving money, too.
TIP: Ensure any ceiling fan you buy can be run in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.
Keep it flowing
Install louvre windows to promote airflow through your home. Louvres are like free air conditioners because the adjustable blades allow you to control the strength of cross breezes entering your home. Install them high to allow warm air to flow outside, and tilt the blades up to direct cool breezes toward the ceiling, cooling interiors. Louvre windows are water and air-tight when closed and can also be screened to keep pesky insects out.
More ways to go green in design
Install louvre windows to promote airflow through your home. Louvres are like free air conditioners because the adjustable blades allow you to control the strength of cross breezes entering your home. Install them high to allow warm air to flow outside, and tilt the blades up to direct cool breezes toward the ceiling, cooling interiors. Louvre windows are water and air-tight when closed and can also be screened to keep pesky insects out.
More ways to go green in design
Let the sunshine in
Heating and cooling your house are two of the most energy intensive and costly considerations when it comes to making your dwelling more ‘green’. Unless your supplier is a green energy supplier or you have a vast array of solar panels, heating and cooling can have a significant impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, too.
Adding a skylight to your home can be a great way to bring more light into your home without relying on electricity. And, with some clever design ideas, such as concrete slab flooring and efficient ceiling fans, skylights can also help to heat your home.
Heating and cooling your house are two of the most energy intensive and costly considerations when it comes to making your dwelling more ‘green’. Unless your supplier is a green energy supplier or you have a vast array of solar panels, heating and cooling can have a significant impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, too.
Adding a skylight to your home can be a great way to bring more light into your home without relying on electricity. And, with some clever design ideas, such as concrete slab flooring and efficient ceiling fans, skylights can also help to heat your home.
Harness the power
I don’t care what erstwhile ex-Australian treasurers say, I think wind turbines are majestic. Roof turbines are lightweight, spinning vents that draw air out of the roof cavity. Powered by nature, these passive ventilation devices will whisk away excessive heat during the hotter months, as well as dampness during the cooler months.
In summer, the space in your roof can get up to 50-60 degrees Celsius, so installing one of these ‘whirligigs’ will keep your power bills down and have your cooling and heating systems working efficiently.
In the cooler months, up to 12 litres of moisture can gather in your roof space. Moisture from bathrooms, laundries and kitchens accumulates in the roof cavity. Without effective ventilation, the insulation will become damp and the timber frames vulnerable. Moist conditions in the roof can result in the growth of mould and timber rot.
BedZED, (pictured) is a cutting edge sustainable community in London, which includes an organically fuelled heat and power plant, onsite sewerage treatment works, a rainwater recycling system and natural wind-powered ventilation.
TIP: Speak to an expert about how many of these gadgets you need to install to make your home systems more efficient.
I don’t care what erstwhile ex-Australian treasurers say, I think wind turbines are majestic. Roof turbines are lightweight, spinning vents that draw air out of the roof cavity. Powered by nature, these passive ventilation devices will whisk away excessive heat during the hotter months, as well as dampness during the cooler months.
In summer, the space in your roof can get up to 50-60 degrees Celsius, so installing one of these ‘whirligigs’ will keep your power bills down and have your cooling and heating systems working efficiently.
In the cooler months, up to 12 litres of moisture can gather in your roof space. Moisture from bathrooms, laundries and kitchens accumulates in the roof cavity. Without effective ventilation, the insulation will become damp and the timber frames vulnerable. Moist conditions in the roof can result in the growth of mould and timber rot.
BedZED, (pictured) is a cutting edge sustainable community in London, which includes an organically fuelled heat and power plant, onsite sewerage treatment works, a rainwater recycling system and natural wind-powered ventilation.
TIP: Speak to an expert about how many of these gadgets you need to install to make your home systems more efficient.
Raise the roof
Installing a ‘living roof’ will not just beautify your building, it will improve the performance of the entire building. Rooftop gardens can collect and re-direct rainwater, provide insulation, improve air quality and reduce urban heat radiation.
TIP: If you’re planning a rooftop garden, it’s important to consult an engineer who has a good understanding of how to calculate the weight of saturated soil and mature plants.
More green rooftops
Installing a ‘living roof’ will not just beautify your building, it will improve the performance of the entire building. Rooftop gardens can collect and re-direct rainwater, provide insulation, improve air quality and reduce urban heat radiation.
TIP: If you’re planning a rooftop garden, it’s important to consult an engineer who has a good understanding of how to calculate the weight of saturated soil and mature plants.
More green rooftops
Drink in the rain
Many areas around Australia experience heavy rainfall at particular times of the year, and often this valuable resource is lost down stormwater drains rather than being harnessed and put to use around the home.
A rainwater tank is a great idea for residential homes, as they can help to reduce water bills and water wastage, as well as providing chemical-free drinking water for those in less polluted areas. If you want to use collected rainwater for drinking, rather than just for washing and watering the garden, ensure you get your tank and the water it contains tested regularly for safety.
Many areas around Australia experience heavy rainfall at particular times of the year, and often this valuable resource is lost down stormwater drains rather than being harnessed and put to use around the home.
A rainwater tank is a great idea for residential homes, as they can help to reduce water bills and water wastage, as well as providing chemical-free drinking water for those in less polluted areas. If you want to use collected rainwater for drinking, rather than just for washing and watering the garden, ensure you get your tank and the water it contains tested regularly for safety.
Recycle decor
Once you have taken care of the architectural elements that will make your home more ecologically sound, there is still more that you can do to continue your footprint reduction. For example, kitting your interior spaces out with recycled, upcycled and repurposed decor can drastically reduce your home’s environmental impact.
I buy a lot of magazines and I love to hang onto them, but there comes a time when they reach critical mass and need to be dealt with. I love the idea of cutting favourite photos from magazines and turning them into wallpaper, as pictured here. It’s a cheap, green and effective way to add some unique style and substance to a wall.
Once you have taken care of the architectural elements that will make your home more ecologically sound, there is still more that you can do to continue your footprint reduction. For example, kitting your interior spaces out with recycled, upcycled and repurposed decor can drastically reduce your home’s environmental impact.
I buy a lot of magazines and I love to hang onto them, but there comes a time when they reach critical mass and need to be dealt with. I love the idea of cutting favourite photos from magazines and turning them into wallpaper, as pictured here. It’s a cheap, green and effective way to add some unique style and substance to a wall.
Find double-duty storage
You can also repurpose old, unwanted items and put them to use as furnishings or extra storage. For example, this old ladder – likely no longer particularly steady – makes an attractive and practical storage solution for tea towels.
You can also repurpose old, unwanted items and put them to use as furnishings or extra storage. For example, this old ladder – likely no longer particularly steady – makes an attractive and practical storage solution for tea towels.
Think outside the square
Or you can create an interesting and innovative dividing wall in an open space with a collection of old wooden crates. When it comes to decorating your home in an eco-friendly manner, your imagination is the only limit.
TELL US
What have you done to give your home a smaller carbon footprint, or what would you consider? Share your ideas and experiences in the Comments section.
MORE
6 Popular Eco-Friendly Homes of 2015
Houzz Tour: Eco Home With Rooftop Garden
Greening Your Home: 10 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Workspace
Or you can create an interesting and innovative dividing wall in an open space with a collection of old wooden crates. When it comes to decorating your home in an eco-friendly manner, your imagination is the only limit.
TELL US
What have you done to give your home a smaller carbon footprint, or what would you consider? Share your ideas and experiences in the Comments section.
MORE
6 Popular Eco-Friendly Homes of 2015
Houzz Tour: Eco Home With Rooftop Garden
Greening Your Home: 10 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Workspace
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We could also buy less, build smaller, maintain more and consider needs not wants