Together, we can lighten our environmental impact — starting with sustainable interior design. Beth Haley Design is committed to bringing eco-friendly design to homeowners, and wants to help you embrace sustainable interior design. Specializing in designing and building sustainable homes, Beth Haley Design encourages the use of energy-efficient appliances, eco-friendly furniture, and reclaimed materials.  We design for longevity and look to greener alternatives, without compromising on style. But what is sustainable design? The simple answer is sustainable design is an approach to interior design that nourishes and promotes well-being by embrace reducing, recycling, and repurposing. Sustainable interior design creates functional spaces with environmental awareness by selecting materials that have a lower impact on our environment by limiting energy use and water consumption.

Energy Efficient AppliancesFive Elements of Sustainable Design

Washing dishes, cleaning clothes, and keeping your food cold are daily ways you use the energy inside your home. Consider replacing your older, inefficient appliances with newer, energy-saving models to reduce your impact on the environment. Nowadays, dishwashers, washers and dryers, and refrigerators come in countless designs, many of which keep the environment in mind. Even better? You will save money on your energy bill each month. 

 

Eco-Friendly FurnitureFive Elements of Sustainable Design

Furniture brands, big and small, have focused or refocused their efforts on creating ethically made and environmentally sustainable designs to appeal to the masses. What makes these brands friendly to the planet? Typically, they use sustainable and recycled materials while employing fairtrade practices and healthy work environments. Additionally, you can always source second-hand furniture for your home.

 

Reclaimed Materials

Go Green with These Interior Design Tips

The materials you incorporate into your design will, ultimately, determine how sustainable it is. Builders and designers looking to go green take into consideration every material used. Reclaimed lumber is a go-to example of a smart, sustainable interior design choice. During home renovations, look out for any reusable materials or hunt down gently-loved materials from other projects. Lumber can be reused to create a statement-making beam, shelves, or furniture. Flooring is another easy way to reuse wood.

 

Donating Old MaterialsFive Elements of Sustainable Design

Although you might be eager to take a sledgehammer to your dated kitchen cabinets, there is a greener way to handle the demolition. Currently, Beth Haley Design is working with a client who has chosen to donate her kitchen cabinetry to a nonprofit. Yes, it takes more time to demolish a kitchen if you want to preserve the materials, but it’s worth it.

 

Plan for the Future

Five Elements of Sustainable Design

A less-talked-about side of sustainable interior design is planning for the future, so you don’t have to replace items down the road. This trick for environmentally conscious homeowners goes hand-in-hand with the newer trend of aging in place. One example? Your bathroom. A no-threshold shower (as seen above) is a design that will age with you. Even if you grow tired of the tile, you won’t have to rip out a tub and send it to the landfill.

 

While these are only a few of the many elements of sustainable interior design, we find them to be the most approachable (and often affordable). We’d love to continue the conversation about how you can get interiors you love while protecting our beautiful green planet. Happy Earth Day, everyone. 

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Like many of you, we are navigating a new work situation in light of the current events. In an effort to keep our design team and clients safe and happy, we have decided to limit the in-person meetings at the Beth Haley Design studio. In the meantime, Beth Haley Design will continue to be a resource for interior design services, as well as a source of inspiration. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about our virtual interior design services during these stay-at-home times.