As non-essential shops reopen all over Britain, many of us have already treated ourselves to some new goodies for the home. Indeed, IKEA stores faced enormous queues at branches all over the country upon reopening. For some of us, however, the idea of buying yet another piece of mass-manufactures Scandinavian furniture is the antithesis of what home decor should be. Your home after all is your sanctuary. It should offer you more than just shelter and warmth. It should give you a canvass upon which you can express yourself through your decor. What’s the point of feeling any less than 100% yourself in your own home. Here’s a look at four sustainable home decor tips for creating your personal sanctuary.
It’s hard to express yourself when you know that your sister and great aunt have the exact same storage unit as you. While the Swedish furniture giant certainly has its place, and their stores are fun to navigate in a “Crystal Maze” kind of way, it’s hardly conducive to self-expression. Nor is it quite as sustainable as their marketing department would have you believe. Here we’ll look at some ways in which you can truly personalise your living space while also making it more sustainable…
Celebrate Your Own Creativity
The right wall art can bring your living space to life and lend it a little extra personality and character. But do your walls really need another picture of a jetty on a serene lake, a New York skyline or a faux-vintage advert for soap? Instead, wear your heart on your sleeve and hang some of your own paintings, sketches or even pressings of flowers from your garden to your wall. All you need are some A4 frames, some good ideas, and a little courage. What better way to hang a talking point on your walls than by celebrating your own creativity?
Upcycle And Reupholster Your Soft Furnishings
Feel like breathing new life into your sofa, armchair or dining chairs, but don’t see the point in replacing them? Spare the world from more furniture waste and experiment with reupholstering. With a little knowledge and patience you can make your old soft furnishings look (and feel) brand new again. By all means, start out on some cushions and build up to larger items like your sofa or armchair as you grow in confidence.
Repaint Your Old Furniture
Even the most familiar furniture piece can be given a new lease of life if you trust yourself to get creative with paint. Repainting your furniture can make it look brand new and unique. Use an eco-friendly chalk paint like Frenchic to customise your tired old furniture.
Buy Vintage Or Salvage
Finally, if you really want to buy something new, there are a number of ways you can get furniture more sustainably than shopping with the big brands. One of the cheapest ways is to find an antique or preloved furniture dealer near you, or perhaps an architectural salvage company. What better way to avoid homogeny than to buy the kinds of pieces that are no longer made? Buying vintage is perhaps one of the best ways to introduce more sustainable home decor into your home, it’s both affordable and has style too. You can buy excellent vintage home decor pieces online at Vinterior.
