9 Sustainable Interior Design Materials For An Eco-Friendly Home

Sustainable interior design materials can make your home look good and keep your ecological footprint low. Poorly designed homes use up more energy, contributing to global warming.

Eco-friendly designs lower environmental impact, are energy efficient and reduce waste by being long-lasting. Here are some of the best design materials to help you create a more sustainable home.

Also, check out this helpful article by Redfin on 24 Eco-Friendly Home Design Ideas To Embrace.

1. Bamboo

Bamboo is a material that’s strong and durable. It’ll last much longer than more common materials used in the home. It’s also resistant to swelling and shrinking.

Bamboo is also able to withstand high temperatures and humidity well. That makes it suitable for decorating your kitchen or bathroom. According to Home Online, some unique home decor ideas you can consider include:

• Countertops made of bamboo
• Bamboo window screens
• Bamboo furniture pieces

2. Reclaimed wood

When you reclaim wood, you’re helping to reduce the impact of deforestation. More reclaimed wood used means less need to cut down trees to supply new wood. It also keeps the wood from ending up in our landfills.

There are many different ways you can use this material to make your home look nice. Some of the ways that Elmwood Reclaimed Timber mentions include:

• Support beams
• Wooden ceilings
• Rich wood flooring

3. Cork

Cork is a material that’s recyclable and biodegradable. Another plus is that no trees are harmed when it’s harvested.

Cork is also antimicrobial, making it useful for fighting off any mold. Its anti-static surface helps keep dust and toxins at bay too.

Muratto, a natural surface design company, notes that cork can last for up to 50 years in the home. You might consider using it for hallway floors and kitchen countertops with that in mind.

4. Natural Stones

Natural stones can give your home a feeling of being in nature. You can consider using stones like granite, slate, or sandstone.

This material offers a variety of color and size options. Natural stones are also an easy material to install in the home. You can use them to make walls, nightstands, chandeliers, and other common household items.

5. Glass

Glass probably isn’t unfamiliar to you, given they make the windows in our homes. With natural light entering our home, it can reduce our HVAC use and thus reduce energy use.

But glass can be used in many other ways, from kitchen countertops to divider walls. Glass can be recycled, and when it eventually ends up in landfills, it doesn’t harm the environment.

6. Recycled aluminum

Recycled aluminum reduces carbon emissions, mining pollution, and energy use overall. It also makes a home look really nice.

It can give your space a more modern look. One unique way to use recycled aluminum is as a frame for a staircase. You can also use them to make tiles in your bathroom.

7. Repurposed items

There are a lot of everyday household items you can repurpose to decorate your space. As an example, old boots can be used to hold plants.

If you have a lot of old denim jeans, you can repurpose them into curtains. This SFGATE article on how to make curtains from denim jeans can help you get started. The more items you can repurpose, the less waste that will end up in our landfills.

8. Organic linen

As you may or may not know, organic means a plant was grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers being used on it. Linen is eco-friendly because it lasts long and is biodegradable.

Organic linen can be used as soft furnishings and curtains. Other benefits of this material are that it’s anti-static and odor-resistant.

9. Brick

We often think of bricks as being used to build the outside of the home. You might be surprised to learn it works nicely for interior design too.

Brick has a long lifecycle, is energy efficient, and is recyclable. Bricks can be great for designing your walls and making your home have a more rustic feel.

There are many other possibilities for making the interior design of your home more sustainable. All it takes is a little creativity. Hopefully, this has given you some ideas to create a space that makes you feel good and creates a cleaner environment.