With eco-friendliness and saving-money a big focus for most people nowadays there are always great ways of spending less money and being environementally aware when it comes to decorating your home. Here are a few tips to help you along your décor-way.
1. Don’t throw things away.
If an object in your home looks a bit shabby or has stopped work, instead of throwing it away think of ways in which to reuse it. You can sand down an old stool and use it as a side table or use an already-stained table-cloth as a cover for surfaces when your children do arts and crafts.
2. Trade with your friends.
Chat to your friends and neighbours and see if they’re willing to trade items with you when you’re in the mood to redecorate. You might have a wooden table that’s too dark for your taste, but your friend might love it. Your neighbour might have a standing light that would go perfectly in your living room but it just taking up space in his or her home. This way your home and your friend’s home can get a revamp without either of you having to fork out a fortune.
3. Is less more?
Some people are hoarders; they hang on to things that they could probably do without. Why not do a spring (or autumn or summer or winter) clean and do décor Japanese style:
You don’t need three or four tables in your living room
You don’t need curtains and blinds and valances and swags
You could even get rid of your bed and get a multi-functional futon (that acts as a sofa too).
4. Buy it second-hand.
We all love to buy new clothes, but our wallets aren’t always full enough to cater for that new wool jersey of those nice jeans. Instead why not shift through the stuff at your nearest second-hand shop? You might find a one-of-a-kind vintage piece at a fraction of the cost, and you won’t be adding new stuff to the world.
5. Go green, but be a little bit sceptical.
Buying green and sustainable products is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and live and eco-friendly life but be careful of products that use “green” as a sales tool. If you can make your own products (side-tables, natural dyes, gifts etc) or buy vintage.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
