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Moving into a new place is pretty exciting not only do you have a space that’s all your own, but you can also have some fun decorating it to reflect your personal style. Decorating is how we add our personality to a space, infuse it with our unique energy and make it feel like home. You can add so much life to a bland, dull room, and bring in so much comfort just by adding a few decorative items. Plus, these days, there are so many cool decorations and accessories you can buy to adorn your home. Before you get too carried away, there are some things you may want to think about especially if being green and natural are priorities to you. You’ll also want to consider your budget and what you can afford to spend right away. So here are some ideas to help you in your home decorating journey to keep things green and to save some money too.
Organic, Natural Materials
When choosing towels and linens, always try to get items made with natural fibers, preferably organic as well. Some of the most eco-friendly fibers will be bamboo or hemp. These may cost a bit more than other synthetic products, but remember, they will also most likely last longer too. So you won’t have to buy new ones anytime soon. Shop for brands that embrace an eco-friendly attitude.
Natural Materials
Choose items made of natural materials like wood or bamboo over plastics. You can also find pieces that haven’t had chemical finishes as well. You may also want to stay away from leather and choose some vegan, animal-friendly options instead.
Handmade Items
Buying handmade items is a great way to decorate your home. Even though it may be a bit more pricey up front, you’ll save money in the long run because hand-made things tend to last longer than factory-made items. Plus, when you buy from a craftsperson you’re supporting someone’s livelihood. Try to shop local when you can too.
Thrift Stores and Garage Sales
Your local thrift store or flea market is a great place to find any item you need for your home for a fraction of the price of buying it new. Plus, you’re recycling which is a great way to keep it green. Like thrift stores you can find so many great home furnishings and decorations at a garage sale, sometimes you can really score and find great deals on real wood furniture or vintage handcrafted items.
DIY It!
Try making some of your own DIY Home decor and even furniture. You can upcycle items you find for free or cheap and make them into beautiful, original pieces for your home.
Non-Toxic Paints
If you need to paint your new home, be sure to choose a paint that is low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or zero VOC – the best option, however, is non-toxic.
Soy Candles
Candles are great for ambiance, but to keep things non-toxic and eco-friendly, opt for some high-quality soy candles. Higher quality soy candles won’t emit harmful toxins, and they will also last longer than conventional candles, meaning they’ll also save you from buying new candles often.
Plants
Real living plants are an excellent way to keep things green in your space. You can ask your friends or family members for clippings or cuttings of their own plants to grow your own plants affordably and use a variety of different containers as pots. Try using bowls, pans, and even old coffee pots as planters.
One Room At a Time
To save money, decorate one room at a time and have a separate budget for each room. Also, keeping things minimal will also help keep costs down and will also help you keep your space cleaner too.
Plastic-Free Home
There are so many other great materials besides plastic that aren’t as toxic, and that will also last longer too. Try using glass containers over plastic ones or even tins instead.
To make your decorating even easier, choose a color pallet to go with and create a mood board on Pinterest. Include items that inspire the look you’re going for, the colors you love and the theme if there is one. Have some fun with it and to infuse your home with your own personal style. Also, remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect to feel like home sweet home.
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The National Candle Association would like to weigh in on the health implications of scented candles. First, the article states that soy candles are the safest to use, as they won’t emit harmful toxins. Internationally sponsored studies have been conducted on candles consisting of either soy wax, paraffin wax, beeswax or other commonly used waxes. These studies have definitively shown that the combustion products of all common waxes are virtually identical. Therefore, the combustion products of soy wax are no different than that of paraffin wax. The levels of these combustion products emitted by all candles are well within safety standards when burning candles in the home under normal conditions. For more information, please refer to a summary of the study here: https://candles.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/International-Study-Shows-All-Candle-Waxes-Burn-Alike.pdf.
Additionally, the article recommends soy candles due to their increased longevity in comparison to “conventional” candles. In actuality, a candle’s total burn time is completely dependent on the interaction of the candle and the wick. Any candle, no matter what it is made of, can burn longer or shorter, based on the wick used. Soy wax does not have any characteristics that will guarantee it will burn longer than any other type of wax.
The safety of scented candles is backed by decades of research, testing and a history of safe use, and the proven data is outlined in detail here: https://candles.org/research-studies/. In the future, if you or any of your colleagues have any questions regarding the candle industry, the National Candle Association would be happy to serve as a resource. Additional information can also be found at http://www.candles.org.
Regards,
Carol Freysinger, Executive VP, National Candle Assn.
Carol, you seem to forget an important point: as far as I know soy candles are vegan, while the other types are not. You don\’t seem to consider it worth of attention, but for some of us it is VERY important. You also mention "decades of research, testing …". This sounds terribly ominous to me and I am sure so many innocent lives have been destroyed for that and unbearable suffering brought upon them. Again you don\’t seem to be bothered by that and you seem instead to consider it a quality. It is definitely not for some of us.
But there is a sheepskin in the photo!!!! Awful. Natural for sure, but not of the right nature. Weird that you missed it. I saw it straight away. Even if it is synthetic it remains gross, shaped like the body of a sheep: who wants to be reminded that?
Good point Renata
And let us not forget: the succulent plan has a pot cover shaped like the half shell of an egg. No, I wouldn\’t like to live in such a place! Very, very weird. PeTA presents articles by a vegan interior designer (I don\’t remember her name): maybe it would be worth looking into it.
Anyway that pot cover is no good: it covers up half of the plant: the plant will not thrive for sure.