Your Villa - East Valley - August-September 2023

Going Green: Sustainable Interior Design The environment’s health Sustainable design helps preserve our natural habitat by reducing our carbon footprint. Never heard that term? Don’t worry! In a nutshell, it’s the amount of greenhouse gasses we produce. These include carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat in the atmosphere and increase temperatures worldwide. Keeping the global climate stable is essential for preventing natural disasters and allowing us to grow the food we need to survive. Unfortunately, so much of our garbage ends up in the wilderness and the oceans, which can have terrible consequences for wildlife and the quality of our natural resources like soil and water. Sustainable design also helps reduce the amount of waste we produce, which is critical to preventing pollution. Our health Sustainable design keeps us healthy, too! It helps improve indoor air quality. The right materials prevent potentially dangerous toxins and dust particles from floating around the air and making us sick. By purchasing sustainable interior design decor and products, we can also reduce the noise in our living environment, which is all-important for psychological well-being. Using as much natural light as possible (more on this in a bit) can reduce stress and increase productivity, too. This is especially helpful for those of us who work from home! How to design with sustainability in mind. So, how do you go about actually implementing sustainable interior design? It’s helpful to start with the “five Rs of sustainability,” which are the basic principles that underlie how to live sustainably: • Refuse: Say “no” to environmentally unfriendly products by buying only those that are recyclable and ethically produced. • Reduce: Use the minimum amount of required materials and resources to minimize your environmental impact. Whether you have a creative streak or not, decorating your home is an exciting venture. It’s a chance to showcase your personality and unique aesthetic. But, more than that, it’s also an opportunity to help protect the environment. How so? The answer is sustainable interior design. There’s a vast array of decor and design/ architectural principles you can implement in your home that appear attractive and pleasant to the eye and benefit the planet! Sustainable interior design is the perfect way to create your dream home while doing your part for the environment. From faucets and light fixtures to windows and walls, there are almost countless means of making your home gorgeous and green. Let’s take a look. What is sustainable interior design? In essence, sustainable interior design is an environmentally-conscious architectural and design style that focuses on using materials and construction methods that lessen a building’s environmental impact. In addition, sustainable interior design and architecture are also centered on improving the health and well-being of the people who live, work or play in a green building through its eco-friendly design. Although sustainable design and green design may seem synonymous, they’re not entirely the same. Green design is all about reducing harm in the present and near future. By contrast, sustainable design looks at long-term consequences. As the name suggests, this design style uses elements that will continue to minimize the negative environmental impact for years, decades, or even centuries to come. It’s not just about building a structure — it’s also about building a future for the earth’s inhabitants. In a while, we’ll look at the core principles underlying sustainable design and how to incorporate them when designing your home’s interior. But before we get to that, let’s discuss why sustainable interior design is essential. The importance of sustainable design. We all know that sustainable practices are critical to the planet’s well-being. From using public transport to buying environmentally friendly cleaning products, there are so many important ways we can reduce our impact on the environment. The best place to start as normal, everyday people is with the buildings we create and use. Utilizing sustainable interior design is vital for two main reasons: keeping the environment and us healthy. Continue on page 18. D E S I G N + B U I L D 12 | Your Villa Magazine