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How to Create an Environmentally Friendly Living Room Space

When we talk about creating an eco-friendly home, we mostly refer to spaces such as the kitchen or the garden outside. Recycling and composting are the most efficient methods implemented in a home that protects the environment. However, the living room, which lies at the heart of any house or an apartment, can also be transformed into a hub for nature preservation. It might not be obvious at first but there are several things that you can do to create an environmentally friendly living room space for the minimum amount of time and money invested.

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Stop using chemicals

You would be surprised by the amount of adhesive that is needed for coating of floors and carpets. Even cleaning the windows involves using commercial cleaners that are full of substances harmful to the environment. No matter how much you rinse, all those toxins go downwards and end up in the ground, contaminating water sources. If you have a backyard garden, then the root system of the vegetables you consume eventually soaks in the chemicals and they reach the fruit. Instead of industrial cleaners, try to make your own universal cleaning solution that will be 100% natural and biodegradable. You would be amazed by how powerful baking powder and citric acid are once you watch a few YouTube tutorials.

Solar heating

This principle is important for the entire house, not just the living room but you spend the most time during the day there. The heat during winter should be generated by means of renewable energy sources that are in the case of a home mostly solar panels. They are installed onto the roof of the house to absorb sun’s rays and convert them into electricity that then powers the heat pump. Home solar panels are, admittedly, very expensive to install, but once the investment pays off in a decade you basically have free power. You will no longer have to pay the electricity bill, and more importantly, every kilowatt of energy you use will be green. If you live in a region that has a lot of sunny days annually, you might even be able to export excess of this energy.

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Cease buying new furniture

According to some estimates, 3 to 6 billion trees are lost annually. Most of these are cut down to produce paper and furniture that uses a lot of timber. This means that everything from a wooden toothbrush to the sofa in your living room leaves a huge carbon print when manufactured. Most of the furniture made from wood is located inside the living room, starting from the large couch, all the way to the TV stand. In order to help the environment, you need to stop fueling the logging industry by opting to buy used instead of new furniture. In fact, vintage furniture goes well with interior design of most homes, so why spend thousands of dollars on new furniture that destroys forests, when you can get second-hand furniture for a far lesser price.

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Creating an indoor garden

Gardens are mainly created outside but there is nothing stopping you from creating a mini garden in one corner of the living room. You can place some houseplants in pots and create an oasis coupled with a small fountain. Not only will oxygen get pumped straight into the living quarters but you will be able to grow your own vegetables and herbs even during winter time when the outside garden is dormant. Such a garden needs the same amount of care as any other green space so turn to companies such as Hoselink to tool up there. You won’t need the whole set, as you probably already own most of the necessary tools, stored away in the garden shed.

Natural fabrics

There are numerous fabrics in the living room, like carpets, cushions, and curtains, to name just a few. All of these should be made from natural materials instead of synthetic. Not only are they easier to maintain but they are more eco-friendly because they were simply woven into shape and there weren’t any chemicals involved in the production process. In terms of design, they have a more visible texture and more vibrant colors which makes them ideal accessories for the living room.

Decoration alternatives

Like we stated earlier, you should really look to do away with wood from the living room. This is not true only for furniture but for all forms of decoration too. Instead of timber, try to find alternative materials, such a glass, steel, and stone. The latter can be used for walls and even for floors as marble or granite floors add a stately look to any living room. Steel can be used to add elegance as metallic ornaments convey a sense of luxury to any space. Glass can be used for the coffee table and you could place glass figurines on shelves and the fireplace. In essence, try to be imaginative and replace every wooden detail in the living room. There is no item that has to be made from wood; it is simply our choice to destroy the environment by choosing such materials instead of glass or stone.

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