As a homeowner, there are a number of reasons why you might want to transform the look of your home. It could be that you are looking to make your home more beautiful or your style has changed and you want your home to match your new preference.
Whatever your reasons for carrying out a home renovation, one crucial factor you should seriously consider is how your renovation activities impact the environment and what you can do to make sure that those impacts are positive. Below are some of the sustainable ways you can carry out a home renovation.
1. Use Reclaimed Wood
Using reclaimed wood for your home’s flooring is a great way to save resources. This is because reclaimed wood is usually re-purposed from either old barns, retired ships or factories. It also helps that wooden decor is capable of giving any space a modern appearance with a cozy feel. Hardwood floors also add character and they can increase the resale value of your home.
2. Refresh Your Windows and Doors Instead of Replacing
The windows and doors are a crucial part of any home improvement. If your doors and windows are still functional but look dated and worn out, opt for refreshing their appearance instead of replacing them.
Having spray paints come in for a painting service is a great, cost-effective way to get this done – and with the money, you can get a radiator spraying job to match your windows. Spray painting is not only faster and cheaper than a replacement, but it also offers a great way to completely change the appearance of your doors and windows with a new paint color.
3. Give Your Furniture a Facelift
This is another area where spray paint works wonders. Spray painting your old furniture can rejuvenate its appearance and have them look good as new. This is a better option as opposed to throwing them away since they will most likely end up in landfills where there is no guarantee that they will be recycled.
4. Use Paints With low VOCs
Paints that contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds) tend to create smog which is harmful to the environment. The chemicals in these paints can pollute the air and when inhaled, they can cause dizziness, headaches, and lung irritation. If repainting your interior and exterior walls are part of your renovation plans, then ensure that you only go for paints with less than 5g/L of VOCs content.
5. Upcycling
This is when you repurpose unwanted items in the home instead of throwing them away. In addition to saving you money, upcycling also prevents the unnecessary dumping of these items in landfills where they only contribute to global warming. There are several online resources (like Pinterest) that you can leverage for different upcycling ideas.
6. Donate Your Unwanted Items
Although most people don’t think of this, de-cluttering can be a great way to transform the look of your home. This is because stocking up your home with too many unwanted items can make your space feel full and small. Donating the items, you don’t want enables you to free up some space and give your home a tidy and fresh look.
7. Go for Eco-Friendly Décor
Decorations are what we use to express ourselves and add personality to our homes. Opting for eco-friendly decor is a good way to sustainably transform the look of your home. For example, you can go for a dried bouquet instead of fresh flowers (they last longer and don’t require watering). You can also choose soft furnishings that are made from natural materials like wool, cotton, or bamboo fiber instead of synthetic (natural materials are biodegradable).
Conclusion
There are several different options to consider when looking to transform the appearance of your home, but going for options that are sustainable is a way of doing your part to help the environment.