Do you want to add home design eco credentials to your renovation and home improvement skills? Even first-timers will benefit from knowing how to be more ‘green’ when it comes to their homes.

Yes, the buzzwords of the moment are eco-friendly, green and sustainable. These environmentally aware concepts are seemingly permeating every aspect of our lives including our home decor and renovation choices.

While you may not have considered ‘going green’ when purchasing a new dishwasher a decade ago, nowadays the focus is on energy efficiency rather than ergonomic design.

Home Design Eco Credentials : Star Rating

Purchase new appliances that have a high green star rating which save energy and water. This includes virtually any major appliance for your kitchen or laundry.

Our priorities have shifted. That’s good for the planet and, often, our pockets. Take a look at these simple ways to flex your home design eco credentials and improve the ‘green’ star rating of your home.

Home Design Eco Credentials : Reuse and Recycle

While you might have a dream concept for an ultra modern home, this may mean purchasing entirely new or bespoke furniture, fittings, and fabrics. Instead, tweak your vision to include some vintage flair.

The idea of reusing something from the past is very much on trend, hence the emergence of auction houses, thrift shops and retro caverns. Remember those industrial looking thick cast iron radiators from schools that are now being sent to reclamation yards?

These awesome pieces of social history can add a touch of authenticity to period homes and warehouse apartments.

It needn’t stop at radiators. Fireplaces from the Victorian era look stunning, as do original ceiling roses and cornicing.

If you want to add period features into your home, reclamation yards can be the best places to visit. They may even end up saving you money rather than going for a high-end modern look.

Check out vintage furniture such as retro Ercol, G-Plan and Scandinavian inspired chairs, tables and coffee tables.

By mixing modern with retro, you will end up with a more eclectic and unique interior design, that shows off your recycling credentials.

Home Design Eco Credentials : Think Outside

If you want to focus on your garden, consider how you can flex your eco muscles. Companies like National Poly Industries specialize in providing water tanks for homes to utilize in their garden.

This means you can collect rainwater rather than using your mains utility and spending money watering your plants. You can also use this water to wash vehicles or clean the exterior of your home.

This doesn’t just help save water but also saves your pennies.

If you want to help create habitats in your garden, consider building hedgehog homes with logs, or leaving a patch of lawn ‘au naturale’ so wildflowers can take hold to attract bees.

At the very least you can pop a couple of bird feeders out to attract some beautiful native birds that might otherwise be going hungry.

Home Design Eco Credentials : Lighting

Creating an ambiance within your home means generating a mood. While your core decor can achieve this, you also need to consider your lighting.

The easiest way to do this is to use a variety of lighting hues and wattages. Mix up energy saving LEDs and vintage Edison copper lights to save energy and money.

Being eco-friendly when designing your home needn’t be difficult. Follow this guide for inspiration and ensure that your home is fit for an environmentally friendly twenty first century.