Green home ideas: Eco friendly inspiration for a sustainable home
by
Checkatrade

Grow your own food

There’s nothing more rewarding than growing your own produce. Not only is it organic, free from pesticides and entirely delicious, but it also cuts down on your consumption and supermarket waste. Say goodbye to all that unnecessary plastic!

Save the bees

Wildflowers are perfect for even the least green-fingered among us. Also, the bees love ’em! Give nature’s busiest pollinators a helping hand by introducing some friendly flora to your garden.

Check out these garden design trends for further inspiration. 

Eco-city living

Don’t let the high rise apartments, poor air quality and metropolitan traffic stop you from fulfilling your environmental duties. Balcony flowerboxes, home jungles with various potted and hanging plants, and bird seeds are all helpful contributions.

Cycle-city

It’s a well-known fact that, when compared to driving, cycling reduces your carbon emissions by up to 10%. However, storage in small city flats is a problem. Consider these bike wall mounts or pulley systems to keep those eco-friendly wheels turning.

Live sustainably

If you’re never home and you hate cycling, then choosing somewhere sustainable to live is advised. Look for high energy ratings and eco-friendly designs. Your building will have environmental regulations to adhere to, so ask for a copy of their commitments.

Choose sustainable materials

Whether it’s interior or exterior, think salvaged wood cladding, bamboo furniture, stone walls, organic paint and natural fabric throws and rugs.

GOTS is the Global Organic Textile Standard and it tells you whether something is made with organic fibres.

Examples include:

• Jute
• Hessian
• Wool
• Bamboo
• Organic cotton
• Linen
• Recycled steel

Clean air solutions

Air purifying plants are excellent for bringing nature inside. Take a walk through the woods in your own front room by filling it with palms, ferns and peace lilies. Keep them alive using your harvested rainwater.

Natural decor

Perhaps a grass carpet is taking things too far, but eco-friendly interior design is a booming business these days. Look for Scandinavian, Japandi and minimalist aesthetics. Choose hard-wearing woods like oak or maple, and pick neutral water-based paints for a clean and spacious vibe.

Hug your home

An off-grid cabin in the woods isn’t for everyone. So, to make your home as efficient as possible, you need to insulate it. Install timber frames made from recycled wood and hug your loft, walls and ceilings with environmentally friendly insulation like wool or cellulose.

Double or triple glazing

Double glazing stops heat escaping and pesky condensation ruining your home and health. It’s also safer and quieter, leaving you to enjoy the peace and quiet you deserve after a long day at work.

LED lights

Light up your life with these efficient little energy savers. Choose LEDs over Watts when illuminating your home and enjoy the sense of satisfaction that comes from saving the planet. We love this Scandi design if you’re short on ideas.

Underfloor heating

Radiators are so 2019. Opt for underfloor heating to improve your health and cut down on energy costs.

Go near the light

Reduce your bills by using natural light to your advantage. Build and decorate with south-facing windows in mind. The more sunlight you utilise, the less energy you waste.

Install a greenhouse

Give the planet a helping hand and grow your own food, plants and air purifiers. Be one with nature. Tend to the earth. Become mother nature personified. Or, you know, just scatter a few home-grown plant babies throughout your house to filter out harmful toxins.

Add a front porch

Well designed front porches are excellent ways to keep the heat inside your home (where it belongs). They’re also handy for adding extra storage and increasing your safety.

Check out our front porch cost guide or front porch ideas for further information.