Winter Blues? Design with Green in mind!

We are surrounded by the need to reduce our "footprint" on the earth. We can recycle our plastics & papers, reduce our carbon footprint with carpooling, and now, even
design our homes with the environment in mind. Interior Design is also calling for a more "green" approach. LEED certifications allow designers to specialize in earth friendly design, requiring education on materials, use of products, recyclability and more. But you don't have to be a certified LEED designer to make design decisions that reflect your earth savvy philosophies. Here are a few ways to be green in your own home design.

1. Up-cycle! A great design technique is to take used items that are heading towards becoming waste, and recycle them- but with a flair! Also known as "up-cycling". Any furniture item can be up-cycled. Apply a fresh coat of paint to a chair you find at a garage sale, or re upholster the bench that you found on Craigslist. Both garage sales & Craigslist are great solutions to design on a dime. As they say, one person's trash is another person's treasure! These places, along with thrift stores and goodwill locations are gold mines for little used items or furniture pieces just begging for a second chance. Use a dresser or cabinet as a blank canvas for song lyrics or poems and use brightly colored paint to make a statement. With a little forethought and a great vision, you can turn a basement bargain into a unique piece for your home!
www.goodwill.com, www.salvationarmy.com



2. Repurpose! Have you ever had an item in your hands, about to throw it out and suddenly, a brilliant thought comes to you on how to use the same item, but in a different way? This is green design! Take your old suitcase, and turn it into an amazing chair and half, dog bed, or even mounted open on the walls for fun shelves. Or take paint cans that you've emptied, spray paint them and use them in your home office or kitchen to hold art supplies, desk supplies, cooking utensils and more! Instead of getting rid of an item, try to repurpose it and see your creativity soar!

3. Think Green. Take a second look at the paint you choose, or the light bulbs you use. Small steps mean a lot! Now you have a reason to select gorgeous fine china to use, instead of serving guests on festive paper plates! And you can shop for fun dish or hand towels to grab in place of the paper towels. As you know, good design is all in the details!