Guest Post - Understanding the 5 Principles of Sustainable Interior Design

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Interior design has a huge impact on the environment as products and materials to be used affects its sustainability. Therefore, interior designers should approach this by incorporating sustainability principles in their designs, hence attracting more clients. As a result, people can enjoy and connect with their encircling spaces ecologically. Moreover, the interior design accommodates amazing alternatives to produce sustainability by the use of regular materials.

5 Principles of Sustainable Interior Design

Biophilic and Natural Design –

On this aspect, we have to on look at interior design’s beneficial effects in our lives. With the different approaches of natural materials and elements in an interior, our various perspectives and aspects of life improve. This consists of mental health and physical well-being. 

Mental health is positively affected when nature involving plants and water are applied in living/working spaces or accommodations. This connection is helpful for people to lower blood pressure, release stress and improve focus and performance when working or studying. This can be innovated by the usage of a wide variety of pots and plants to create beautiful biophilic designs. 

For physical well-being, it’s concerned with the usage of explicit natural resources. Hence, limiting the use of volatile particles from the materials used through the lack of chemicals. This highly promotes the use of acoustic and antibacterial materials in interior design. 
Design for Flexibility and Longevity –
To sustain an interior design, the longevity of any material to be used should be greatly considered. This will prevent products and materials from getting discarded too often. Therefore, the best approach to this is designing timeless and durable spaces and restrain the wish to reorganize the entire design after a while.
However, people tend to grow and change all the time hence want their surrounding spaces to be part of their growth. They then reflect those changes by relying on their interior designers to come up with adaptable ideas fitting their changing needs. Creating flexible spaces is among the keys to longevity as replacing or adapting is easier rather than renovating or demolishing the individual details of a room in its entirety.
Design for Waste Minimization –
Interior designers have a big responsibility of acting sustainably. They play a major role when it’s about waste minimization. Therefore, with the limited resources, the mindset of discarding products immediately after they are outdated and replacing them with currently trendy is not any more justifiable. Luckily, the sector of design is turning out increasingly conscious of the necessity for sustainable thinking. Therefore, it is undergoing a developing interest in sustainable trends such as repurposing, recycling, and upcycling. These processes give rise to a new life of outdated materials instead of them being discarded.
Additionally, synthetic materials can also be the best option in reducing the exhaustion of natural resources. Interior designers will greatly promote the conservation of the environment by opting to use the renewed or recycled wastes to create and develop amazing ideas. As a result, wastes become raw materials for new products thus eliminating a lot of wastes.
Design for Energy Saving –
Energy consumption highly contributes to climate change. Therefore, interior designers have come up with great ways that promote energy efficiency. They have a great influence on lighting and heating, two critical factors affecting the climate. To achieve this, the use of the right lighting and the implementation of artificial lighting are the best solutions. Rooms with darker walls need more light hence lighter colours will reflect appropriately. Besides, reflective surfaces bounce lights around thus increasing the quantity of light in the room. 

Also, on how to manage the temperature of the building, the windows should provide good insulation and be of high quality. Drapes, curtains, and window coverings; shades, and blinds are the best choices when managing the building’s temperature. They can be opened and shut when needed. Furthermore, installing home automation remotely controls lighting and heating systems.
Creation of a Healthy Environment –
Interior design is associated with a lot of materials and some of them might not be linked to pollution but can be toxic. To establish a healthy environment, many factors are considered. 

Clean air, good lighting, efficient heating, and good acoustics are the main factors. With many people spending time indoors: at schools, in offices, and at home, these factors should be leading in the priority list of any interior designer. 

Designers should implement the use of benefiting quality products when decorating either a house or an office. Equipment or furniture used should be of materials with moderate emissions of pollutants. Other products such as carpets can also be used as they trap dust particles hence act as an air filter, therefore, promoting an environment free of germs from the dust particles. What makes for a healthy environment depends on the setting. For example, mental health facilities may require Knightsbridge Furniture to establish a safe and welcoming environment.

Final Thoughts

Interior designers have a huge responsibility to create amazing things out of the locations we live in. Hence, they must be guided by sustainable design principles to provide a decent and convenient environment. As much as they are dealing with the commercial sector, a healthy environment should be valued.

Author Bio: This article was written by Martin Desmond of Wizer Energy. Martin and his team provide comprehensive Domestic and Commercial PV Systems installation services across Ireland.

Color Psychology in Interior Décor – Infographic

Here at House to Home Organizing, we love to help people to declutter and get their homes in tip-top shape. However, did you know that you can incorporate psychology into your color choices for your home too? With so much color choices available in paint stores, it can easily get overwhelming in your renovation project. Even if you're planning to overhaul just one room, choosing the color can be a stumbling block. Coupled with that is the fact that the choice of color has such huge repercussions for the rest of the home's theme so you really want to get it right! Of course, you can use magazines, home décor TV shows or social media to help inspire you with color choices too. Pinterest and Instagram are fantastic places to begin your color choice journey; both platforms have tools for saving any inspiration you find so that you can easily refer back to it at any stage. Another great tip is to look at wall art in the room as a source of inspiration. You can use that to form the idea or theme of your color choice too and create a really cohesive look! 

We also like to ask the opinion of a small select group of family and friends - ask too many though and you might incur a wide difference of opinion and thus end up in even greater confusion about what direction to take your color journey! 

The guys at EZ Living Interiors have put together this infographic below; it outlines color by color what is suitable for different areas of the home. We know that it can be challenging when it comes to color selection because there are so many to choose from! Coupled with that is the worry that you're not selecting the right colors for the "look" that you want to achieve. That's why incorporating the psychology of color into your decision making process is the ideal way forward. The graphic also examines the interesting concept of the 60-30-10 rule for timeless-s decorating. Sometimes having an anchor like this when in your color selection mode of the renovation can really focus the mind and allow you to think in a clearer way. Check out the full infographic below for all the details! 

Doing Some Home Renovation Work? 4 Ways to Make It Complete

If you are planning to renovate your house effectively and efficiently, you need to think about the whole process intelligently. The basic strategy to renovate the place you live is to think carefully about your renovation plan into different plans to utilize the space you have to renovate.

With proper planning and preparation, your entire home remodeling project can go smoothly. These steps are meant to help you start the process and prevent you from making costly mistakes in the future. The only step you'll have to add is to decide which rooms you plan to renovate first. Read below if you are finding top 4 ways to improve your house in the best, beautiful way.

Plan and Design

If you are thinking of renovating your house, making a list of do-it-yourself tasks will save you money and time. Make a short "yes/no" list of the jobs you want experts to do. Look for contractors and subcontractors to help you with the projects you don't want to handle yourself. Apply for permissions for any job that you do not wish to perform. Renovating your house can be a big job, so be sure to get the help you will need. Making a list of pros and cons will help you decide what you really want. Planning out a rough design is a great way to start the process. Work closely with your spouse or significant other so that you both will come to an agreement on aspects of home design for your renovation.

Ensure Roof and Foundation Repairs

Make sure the entire house won't come crashing down on you and that it will stay dry (roof, siding, windows). Secure the framework. Make significant foundation repair to areas such as weakened walls, joists, and carrying beams. Repair severely broken windows that might jeopardize future renovation work. If it is not severely damaged, save it for later in the project. Roof repairs and foundation repairs are incredibly important to consider when doing a renovation on your home. Be sure to work these fixes into your schedule.

Demolish and Structure Carpentry

Demolition and disposal of portions of the home that future projects will replace is an innovative approach to avoid having a massive garbage container. Demolish all or part of the portions of the house that will need to be renovated with care. Be cautious when removing lead-based paint-coated surfaces, tile flooring, and woodwork. When it comes to demolish and structure carpentry, you need to be sure you stay on your toes. It can be a lot of fun to demolish things when doing a renovation. Just be sure to only take apart the parts of your home that you need to. After you are done with the demolition of 

Flooring

If you're on a tight budget, floor remodeling may appear prohibitively pricey. If you cannot locate a flooring installation within your budget, you could spend on remodeling everything else to match your floor style. Remaking your flooring is a great idea in the modern world. Flooring is an important part of a home. Be sure to choose the flooring that best suits your home’s style. That way, you will have a seamless design scheme for your home. Having a good idea of what flooring you want is incredibly important when doing a renovation. 

Nothing is worse than hearing about a fantastic new addition to your renovation and then completely forgetting about it. You may create your renovation binder that has all of the necessary documentation and information. Many homeowners are now utilizing home renovation apps to help them through the process. Assume you want a 3D representation of your home or create a theme based on your preferred color palette.

Why Location Matters When Buying a House

Buying a house is a decision that comes with various considerations. Multiple factors come into play when making a real estate investment. Location is one of the few integral elements that one should think twice about when buying a house.

Location can affect how you live your daily lives, and it is vital to ensure you find the right spot. You need a place you would be proud to call home and know that it is right for you. Thus, here are some reasons why location is vital when buying a house.

Proximity to Big Towns

Nothing brings much development to an area like proximity to large towns. Major towns are vital business hubs that attract a lot of traffic. Thus, most people prefer to live in an area close to their workplaces and businesses.

Consider how close your home’s location is to a significant town and if there are available means to get there. This way, you can determine the right place to live as you access your work and handle your daily trade.

Development

It is imperative to consider an area with a good and promising development rate. Buying a home is also an investment, and you need somewhere you can build equity in your home. A house may increase its value, especially in upcoming areas.

Seeking professional help can typically make the process more manageable. Look for a reputable facility such as John Hook Team: KYRO Real Estate to find an area with upcoming businesses and real estate projects as signs of development. Development attracts more home buyers and investors who are likely to create a suitable environment and uplift the living conditions. Check the development rate of the area over time and consider if it’s a good place for your new home or business.

Accessibility

You need a house in an area you can access with ease. This means that you should look at the available transport network that opens your home’s location to other places. You need a place where you can go to and from work with ease and make it easier for friends and family to access.

Amenities

You should also go for a location with access to basic infrastructure and social amenities. That said, consider an area with a good transport network, parks, hospitals, and convenience stores. Consider a home located in a neighborhood with security, schools, and landscaping.

Go for a home in an area with favorable living conditions that make your life in your new home comfortable. Consider shops, restaurants, malls, and stores that make the area reputable.

Research more about a location before buying the house. Ensure you have all the information and make decisions based on statistical data and factual knowledge. This way, you can find a home in a location that suits you.