Wood accents throughout your home can provide warmth to your interior. Wood floors, cabinetry and other home furnishings are all popular options; however, adding these wood features to your home can cause harm to the environment and to those that are living inside your house. For instance, the glues, finishes and cleaners used to maintain wood flooring can negatively impact the natural environment and can be dangerous to small children and pets.
Although trees are a renewable resource, many people designing their homes want to use rare and exotic materials, such as Brazilian cherry wood, which is not sustainable. Instead of using these rare woods, some sustainable alternatives include cork and bamboo.
So, if you like the warmth that wood finishes provide but want to be eco-friendly, consider these three alternatives when designing your home.
1. Cork Floors
Cork is a highly renewable material, harvested sustainably, explains Green Home guide. Most cork materials come from the bark of the cork oak trees located throughout Mediterranean forests. The bark is stripped from the tree and it grows back after three years, making cork floors a more renewable source.
This alternative to wood flooring keeps its shape and is naturally resistant to rot, mold and moisture, which can significantly reduce allergens in the home. Cork is just as durable as wood flooring and it’s biodegradable and non-toxic. Fresh Home states that most cork floors can last up to 30 years, and when it’s time to replace the cork flooring, it can be ground up for compost. Furthermore, cork floors can be customized just like traditional wood floors, and it can be finished with wood glue and a variety of non-toxic paints, and stains to complement your home style. To keep your cork, wood, or laminated floors clean please check out — http://thehomemakersjournal.com/best-vacuums-for-laminate-floors/ for the best options available.
2. Sustainable Blinds
Natural light can make your home warm and inviting, but when you want to draw the shades and create a more peaceful and calming environment, be sure that the shades in your home are sustainable. Handcrafted faux wood blinds constructed from low-impact, eco-friendly materials let as much (or as little) light into your home as you wish.
Faux wood blinds are made from foam wood, a material that is mildew and moisture resistant. The Shade Store not only offers faux wood blinds, but also with each order, customers receive a notification that a tree has been planted in their honor. The Shade Store works with the Arbor Day Foundation to help nourish National Forests as part of the Superior National Forest Planting Project.
3. Wood-Inspired Wallpapers
Wallpapers created from green materials can be the perfect addition to your home if you’re looking to add a beautiful point of interest in your interior. Wallpapers are no longer dull and drab, but rather eco-friendly, modern and stylish.
When selecting wallpaper, be sure to choose a style that’s sustainable. Home Portfolio recommends selecting a style made with water-based inks and dyes. The home design site also suggests using wallpaper made from natural fibers, such as woven sea grass or bamboo. These two eco-friendly styles, commonly referred to as grass cloth, are biodegradable and can add a natural touch to any room. Home Portfolio recommends avoiding vinyl wallpapers and discourages fireproofing and the use of VOCs and heavy metals.
Live a green and healthy lifestyle and make sure you make the healthiest, eco friendly choices for the environment and for your family. Do you have any non-toxic safe alternatives to conventional wood and toxic materials that have worked for your home? Please share your ideas in the comments.
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I love your site there is so much here to learn from. I came here via Reduce Footprints and am so happy to have found you. I have debated on using cork as I have heard it doesn’t hold up as well as reported. Some of the drawbacks I have heard is that you have to be very careful about them getting wet and that furniture leaves permanent marks in it. Have you found this to be much of a problem?
Hi Lois,
Thank you for visiting my site and commenting. To be honest I have never used cork in my house. When we put new floors in cork wasn’t as readily available as it is now so I can’t personally tell you how well it performs. I would say this that – I think it would depend on the quality of the cork as any other material. I have had cheaper floors and they have marked and scratched easily and then bought a better quality laminated type style flooring that cost me more but in the long run was worth it because I have had it for quite a few years without any trouble. I just make sure I clean it with natural DIY cleaners like lemon and keep the shine up with olive oil.
I am sorry I can’t give a definite answer to personal experience. I would go for the higher grade cork if you purchase that type of flooring. I have read a variety of different reviews on cork, but it seems that the newer cork is suppose to be durable. I would suggest checking out the company that makes it and there warranty. I hope that helps. Have a healthy happy blessed day. Marla
Great ideas, I am going to feature you this week on the homeacre hop (at http://www.PintSizeFarm.com). Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for featuring my post. I feel honored. I love the Home Acre Blog hop – it has so much good information. Have a healthy happy & blessed week. Marla
Thanks for sharing my article. Glad to link up with you. Have a healthy happy week!
Thank you Marla.
Hi Azhar,
Your quite welcome! Thanks for reading my article and commenting. Have a healthy happy blessed week! Marla
Hi Marla,
I love exploring and embracing eco-friendly home decor so thank you for sharing these green and healthy sustainable alternatives with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop! I sincerely appreciate it. I’m pinning and sharing!
Hi Deborah,
Glad I could be of help on your search of healthy sustainable alternatives. Have a healthy happy week! Marla
I had no idea cork was such an eco friendly option! Thank you for sharing these suggestions. I am pinning this to refer back to when I need to make decisions about remodeling my home!
Hi Jen,
Thanks for reading my article, commenting and pinning. Cork is recommended by provided who treat chemical sensitive people as a good non-toxic option. Have a healthy, happy blessed week. Marla
We’re doing construction on our house right now and these are all things we are thinking about! I officially have no idea what kind of flooring we will be getting. Exotic flooring wasn’t in the budget any way, but I had no idea cork flooring even existed 🙂
Hi Yuliya,
Thanks for reading my article and commenting. Cork flooring is known to be very substantial and is not filled with toxins. In fact they recommend it for anyone that has chemical sensitivities has a healthy choice. Have a happy healthy blessed week. Marla
I’ll definitely look into it!We don’t have chemical sensitivities, but I like to keep things pretty clean around our home so that sounds like a nice option for us!
Hope you find the perfect green flooring. Marla
Marla is pretty like her services for living natural; I greatly acknowledge her way pf educating the humanity.
Hi Azhar,
Thank you for reading my article and commenting. I appreciate your kind remarks. Have a healthy happy blessed week! Marla