It's Easy Being Green

Researching design trends for the upcoming year, we’ve noticed a certain mood in our favorite rooms. It’s a feeling both serene and sophisticated. A space that looks calm but has a notable presence. One that’s modern for the sake of efficiency but can showcase heirloom and organic materials.

We can sum it up in one color: Green.

 

 

 

 

 

This bedroom features ample house plants, green accents and Warm Spice Oak Solid Hardwood Flooring.

We’re being drawn to dusty, rustic, mellow green shades that complement natural furnishings. And since homeowners are continuing to carve out more eco-friendly living spaces, it just seems like the right harmonizing color.

Let’s start with the walls. Benjamin Moore selected October Mist 1495 as its color of 2022, saying the rich sage color “anchors a space, while encouraging individual expression.” Sherwin-Williams has a similar take with Evergreen Fog. Their color of 2022 is a “versatile and calming hue, a chameleon color of gorgeous green-meets-gray.”

These greens are soothing and stately. They blend into the background and show off organic materials, especially wood finishes. This is a perfect palette to highlight durable materials like wood, leather, and textiles, the type of timeless finishes that speak to sustainability and reuse.

 

 

 

 

 

This beautiful living room design features orange couch, eclectic decor, and October Mist green accent wall. With Skyline Trail Oak Waterproof Rigid Vinyl Plank Flooring.

When you think of an “eco-friendly” home you might imagine solar panels on the roof, energy-rated appliances, and a smart thermostat keeping precision control. No doubt those can all be worthy investments, and even simple upgrades like choosing LED light bulbs can generate savings over the long term.

 

 

 

 

 

Hydrocork Sylvan Gold Oak Waterproof Cork Flooring

But in truth, the best way for a house to be environmentally friendly is to accommodate sustainable habits in its users. If a home is set up to be “green”, we’ll act “green” in return, which over time will generate a greater positive impact on the environment than our choice of lightbulbs.

Make your home eco-friendly by making sure it’s equipped with renewable items to reduce the amount of new things you consume. Paper products are an easy target: use dryer balls instead of wasting dryer sheets. Invest in lots of cheap kitchen rags to save paper towels.

Cut down on chemicals and plastic use by making your own household cleansers—get some nice glass spray bottles and make your own cleaning solutions from vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. And even those efficient appliances can be side-stepped. Line-drying your clothes could save kilos of CO2 when the weather permits.

These kinds of habits will have your home running at peak eco-efficiency so make sure your structure is pulling its weight, too. Proper insulation is paramount to keeping an efficient home—schedule an energy audit to find out where you need to seal some heat leaks.

And consider the insulating effects and sustainability of your flooring choices as well. Hydrocork flooring is a good insulator, and is made from natural materials.

How are you making your home more eco-friendly? Tell us—and tag us—on Facebook or Instagram at @LLFlooring and use #LLStyle.