Incorporating Sustainable Materials In Your Home
In a report by the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF), originally published here, a study found that over the course of a building’s life span interior design had a significant carbon footprint. In fact, from a conservative estimation — the CLF believes that the interior of a building will equal if not exceed the original scope of construction.
So, what’s all this have to do with incorporating sustainable materials in your home?
Well, we’re not ones for fancying the negative but the reality is the interior of your home plays a tremendous role in both its effect on the health of the environment + in how YOU feel.. But the best news is incorporating sustainable materials in thoughtful and intentional ways in your home is all a part of what we do at Elegant Simplicity.
Alright, let’s dive in + take a look at a handful of the sustainable materials we are often incorporating into our clients homes.
Biophilic Interior Design
The Total Exposure Assessment found in their research that we are spending more than 90% of our time indoors –– isolated, separated + detached from nature. Take into consideration all of the incredible benefits, time in nature has on our bodies + it’s fairly easy to see that most of us aren't engaged with nature as much as we are with our devices.
And that, my friend, is exactly where biophilic design + using sustainable materials in your home is a strategic approach to incorporating parts of nature in your surroundings.
Biophilic Design is the connection between humans and nature in architecture and is said to improve quality of life, enhance cognitive functioning, improve workplace performance, lower health, and social problems, and enhance healing and recovery (Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life, 2013).
While we can all certainly be conscientious about venturing out for a walk, run, or cycle on a sunny day we can ALSO significantly improve our state of wellbeing while enjoying our home.
Not to mention, with more hybrid work-from-home approaches, conscientiously incorporating elements found in nature such as plants, water, views, fire, and even sunlight can have positive impacts on our health.
Friend, you can read more about the importance of Biophilic Interior Design in this article we wrote ;)
Natural Stone
Natural stone is not only one of the most abundant natural resources we have accessible to use in our homes but what’s fantastic about incorporating this sustainable material is it’s incredibly unique. Just think about it from different colors, textures, shapes + even more subtle the veining… natural stone from one piece to another varies drastically.
And that’s really one of the benefits of using sustainable materials, like natural stone, because we all want our homes to be unique + curated with intentionality. With the natural variation in stone + also in how we use it — your home truly does feel enveloped in nature.
But another aspect that we love about using natural stone, whether it’s used on the floor, fireplace, or countertops in your home is that it has no harmful chemicals or toxins. And that’s a breath of fresh air.
Speaking of air…
Low or No-VOC Materials
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are present in a lot of materials used in homes today. And let’s just simplify it a bit and say anything that starts with “volatile” probably isn’t very good for humans or animals to be exposed to *wink*.
You’re probably wondering, like what materials could potentially have VOCs in them?
Well, the most commonly talked about material used in homes today that may have VOCs in is paint. So ideally a low or no VOC paint is used.
But there are VOCs in a lot of things in our homes. To name a few: ready-to-assemble (RTAs) furniture, carpeting, what your household cleaner is using as well as in things with scents like mothballs or candles.
So, what you want to do is make choosing low or no VOC materials a priority for yourself, your pets and the environment.
Psst… if we have successfully piqued your interest when it comes to being conscientious of what you breathe in — well, then you’re going to LOVE this article we wrote on Why Indoor Air Quality Is Important + How To Improve It In Your Home.
Wood
When we say, wood is a sustainable material — what comes to mind? More likely than not, you’re probably thinking of reclaimed wood. Truth be told, reclaimed wood is an excellent way to not only reuse a material and reduce the carbon footprint in creating your home but also a way to further a story + narrative about the values you have in creating your home.
Most likely, you didn’t consider wood as a sustainable material simply because it is often linked with deforestation. Though that is true, man-made materials like concrete or even steel have a 75% greater carbon footprint themselves.
So, as cyclical as this may seem, wood that has a forest certification is sourced from a sustainable forest + thus with a little bit of conscientious thought + intentionality wood has the potential to be a part of sustainable solutions in creating your home.
Textiles
From the drapery panels hanging on our walls to the upholstery fabrics of the sofas, chairs, and pillows we sit on, textiles literally are everywhere around us.
From eco-friendly fabrics like linen, jute, hemp, bamboo, and even cotton these materials aren’t simply sustainable but in many ways, they are more durable and comfortable. Which means that sustainable materials used in the textiles we fill our homes with have the potential to enhance not only the look and the feel of our home but of our life.
But there’s also more. Earlier, we talked about VOCs and the desire to utilize sustainable materials.
In textiles, eco-dyes are doing just that by using color-safe pigments, not chemicals that we’ll rub our skin up against when we sit down.
Sustainable Manufacturers
Another often overlooked aspect of sustainable materials is who makes them.
When we’re selecting materials for a client’s home we’re often looking for manufacturers who are transparent in their sustainability approaches + practices. Sometimes that’s things like repurposing old materials or using recycled materials, low/no VOC paints, and other times that’s things like they minimize waste or offset their own carbon footprint.
At Elegant Simplicity, the focus of creating a home for our clients doesn’t stop with how it looks. It’s about how life unfolds there + how the spaces we design + organize truly do conform to the way YOU live.
So, whether we’re incorporating biophilic interior design principles or selecting sustainable materials for your home we’re relentlessly considering each and every aspect for you + your home.
Ultimately, when it comes to creating home we’re focused not on simply doing less bad (for our health or the environment) but doing more good. Making decisions with clarity and understanding in why it’s right for you.
And there you have it...everything you need to know about sustainable materials! And don’t forget, if you’re in the preliminary planning stages of your next project, let’s chat.
P.S. If you loved this article then you’re going to really enjoy the 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.