Decorating your apartment is your chance to shine. You get to personalize every inch, from the corners to the ceilings, as long as you follow your lease agreement.
With so many decor options on the market today, even the most discerning or unique tastes can be accommodated.
One popular trend that’s gaining traction is eco-friendly decor. This type of decor includes furniture and accessories that are both stylish and friendly to the environment.
Ready to get on board the eco-friendly decor train? Try these five green ways to spruce up your apartment today.
1. Start With Proactive Energy
One of the top causes of pollution is light pollution. This encompasses everything from streetlights and billboards to the way you use your artificial light at home.
You may not be able to force your apartment managers to invest in solar electricity. However, you can choose decor that saves power.
Smart technology makes it easy to lower your electric bill and your carbon footprint, with options like:
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Blackout curtains to save electricity and insulate your room
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Smart heating devices to conserve energy
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Automated light switches to turn on and off at set times
If you’re not a gadget person, find someone to install these devices for you. The cost you pay for the device and service is worth it, as they’ll significantly lower your electric and heating bills.
2. Go for the Gently Used Option
Thrift shops are more in vogue than ever before. It’s no surprise, considering that they offer high fashion at low prices. You can find slightly used furniture, clothes, and home decor donated by people who would rather give it away than toss it out.
Thrift stores exist online, too. Sites like thredUP are popular among frugal spenders who prefer e-commerce to physical stores.
Both secondhand stores and online thrift shops are great places to buy home decor. Although not everything in these stores is green, you are still helping. Instead of adding to the problem of too much stuff, you’re buying recycled goods!
3. Use Natural Fabrics
Whether you buy new or used, try to shop for natural fabrics over synthetic fibers. This isn’t as hard or costly as it used to be. Manufacturers have seen their bottom lines pay off as people realize the benefits of going green.
Natural home decor includes materials like wool, linen, bamboo, wood, organic cotton, and hemp.
Contrary to popular belief, natural cloth fabrics can be just as soft or softer than their synthetic counterparts. The evidence is clear in materials like bamboo sheets and hemp rugs.
Wood is also a great choice for home decor. But, make sure to opt for the real thing instead of a fabricated version.
You may have to dig a little deeper to find all-natural home decor, but you’ll love the quality!
4. Turn to the Internet to Shop Small Retailers
If you can’t find what you’re looking for locally, try searching the internet. Small retailers on sites like Etsy sell a lot of natural and organic items.
When you choose these little retailers over corporations, it’s easier to buy eco-friendly products. Many small shops have a vested interest in reducing, reusing, and recycling. So, you’re more likely to find retailers who use ethical materials and manufacture their products in an energy-efficient way.
Big companies don’t always have those types of priorities!
Buying decor from small businesses also benefits the owners directly. While you help put food on their family’s table, you’re also helping the environment.
5. Decorate With Plants
Plants are smart, healthy decorations, especially for people who live in apartments or spend a lot of time inside. The original green decor, plants clean the air around them by absorbing toxins and producing fresh oxygen.
They can boost your mood and improve your mental health, too. This boost seems to go hand-in-hand with higher productivity and better concentration.
With limited space in your small apartment, you need greenery that stays compact and can still thrive indoors. Some of the best apartment plants are:
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Snake plants
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Potted cacti
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Succulents
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Spider plants
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Bamboo
There is no specific formula as to how many plants you need. However, experts recommend two plants per room. This can increase air quality by 75 percent!
Conclusion
There are endless ways to decorate your home, but none make you feel quite as good as eco-friendly options. Green home decor looks great, sure, but it also gives you the added benefit of knowing you are doing your part to help the world.
To recap, here are a few ways you can incorporate eco-friendly decor into your apartment:
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Light your place with energy-saving bulbs.
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Buy used items to help reduce waste.
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Use natural linens instead of synthetic ones.
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Shop from small retailers who share your eco-conscious values.
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Decorate with houseplants and greenery.
Yes, green decor may be a trend right now. But, it’s surely not one that will go out of style!
Ascend Five Points South offers luxury student housing near the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Learn more about their student apartments today!
