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Green' Home Decor Easier Than You Think

By: Eric Parker

The thought of creating an environmentally friendly home immediately brings up all the criticisms of "going green:
- An eco-friendly home is duh! - boring, bland and plain - Eco-friendly home decorations are overpriced and over-hyped - Why go green? It's only a fad anyway.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. True for those who know nothing about eco friendly products, eco-friendly homes and great style. Designers, manufacturers and companies are going the environment-way. This then leads to better homes, products and styles.
Sustainable living is not a fad. It's about making the right choices to help alleviate environmental problems, which are after all, directly affecting us humans. It's about protecting our environment and its resources, and living a healthy life.
For instance, not all "green" home decor is expensive. In fact, the decorating style known as Shabby Chic actually centers on re-using quality furnishings that have fallen on hard times. The key is to develop an eye for quality that can see past the inevitable nicks, dents and scratches of a lifetime of use. Stores such as those operated by The Salvation Army, Goodwill and many other charities often carry this items. Some designers recommend giving recycled furniture and accessories a fresh look by painting them white, one of Shabby Chic's basic colors.
Say for instance you need a new dining room table. Rather than simply buying one from a furniture store, consider other options, such as a purchase from a secondhand store that can be reconditioned, or even building your own using a table base kit and recycled lumber from a junkyard.
Another way to support environmental protection and safeguard our health is to check the materials of our home decors. It's important to keep an eye on food labels and the same should be true to our things. Some carpeting for instance, are made of toxic-laden material that emits a formaldehyde vapor, which is very hazardous to our health.
Area rugs for instance, are also available in an eco-friendly variety. There are rugs made of natural resources like wool, bamboo, sisal and silk. Some are also made from recycled materials. This is not to say they are not nice. In fact, they also come in different colors and designs. You are beautifying your home without compromising the environment in using such decorations.
Speaking of change, don't add to the waste stream by simply tossing out your old furnishings as you redecorate. Instead, contact conservation organizations such as The ReUse People, who will check your throwaways for reusable items, collect them and send them to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. You can even get tax credit by donating in this way, which could pay for your redecorating.
Check the products you buy as much as possible to ensure that they are eco-friendly. Not too difficult actually as more and more manufacturers are turning green anyway. You might probably be spending more time waiting in line at McDonald's than browsing through a home depot aisle for environment-savvy goods.
Be good. Be wise. Go green and see how simple things make a difference to the environment, your home and your health.

Article Source: http://www.articlefinder.org

Natural Interior Design has never been so easy with these natural bamboo area rugs.

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