Many of us in Albuquerque are concerned about sustainability and being as eco-friendly as possible. Making your life more sustainable doesn't have to be expensive, and this includes your home decor.

Listed below are simple, practical ways you can achieve a more sustainable and often healthier lifestyle through your interior design.

Material Selection

It is possible to design a more sustainable home by choosing the right flooring, furniture, rugs, and other key items.

Reclaimed wood, for example, can be used to make flooring and furniture. Reclaimed wood is a great way to repurpose and recycle old materials.

Unlike traditional wood, bamboo is a more environmentally friendly material that can be used in home design. A fast-growing plant, it doesn't require a lot of fertilizers or pesticides, and it grows without a lot of help from us.

Flooring is increasingly being made from cork, a sustainable material that is made to look and feel like hardwood.

Textiles and upholstery made from natural materials such as jute are environmentally friendly. Strong and renewable, jute grows quickly.

Healthy Paints

Choose paints or varnishes that contain low levels of volatile organic compounds when you're painting or varnishing. As volatile organic compounds evaporate at room temperature, they produce poisonous gases that harm your health and pollute the environment.

Consider products that say they're low VOC or non-toxic when choosing paints and finishes. Water-based paints and milk paint are also sustainable solutions.

Change Your Light Bulbs

Changing your light bulbs is one of the easiest and fastest ways to make your home more eco-friendly. Consider replacing your old incandescent bulbs with LEDs that use seventy five percent less energy. Aside from that, they also last longer.

You can typically still keep your original lighting source and get the benefits of the new bulbs, so it’s not a major project.

Buy Vintage

We all tend to like finding a good deal on cheap, new furniture, but there are some advantages to shopping for vintage or antique options. First, it’s fun to find treasures, and you may actually save money over the cost of new items.

Old furniture tends to be well-made and stand the test of time, and you’re giving these items new life.

Choose a Color Scheme

Depending on the colors you choose for your décor you can have a positive or negative environmental impact.

You can gain more light in your home by using light colors. You will need less artificial lighting if you use lighter colors instead of darker ones.

If you choose lighter colors for your home, you will be able to use less energy to keep a comfortable temperature.

Treatments for Windows

Controlling heating and lighting is possible with window coverings.

Your windows lose the majority of your heat, and you might not have the money in your budget to upgrade your windows just yet, so window coverings can help. Depending on the weather, you can open or close your window coverings to keep the cold air and sunlight out.

Automate Your Home

Home automation systems like Nest allow you to control lighting and heating remotely, creating a more efficient home.

Using Plants

There are many benefits to having greenery in your home. You will feel happier and more productive if you surround yourself with greenery. Your immune system can benefit from them, and they're good for the environment since they provide oxygen while filtering out harmful chemicals.

Sustainable design should aim to provide a healthy environment for your family and to reduce your dependence on non-renewable resources, as well as reduce your energy consumption. It's not necessary to achieve all of these at once. Beginning with your home, you can begin taking small steps toward a more sustainable future.