How to…make your renovation more sustainable
What comes to mind when you think home renovation? Challenging, messy, tiring, rewarding? Renovations can also produce a huge amount of waste that goes directly to landfill. Here are eight home renovation ideas to reduce the impact of your next home renovation.
Prioritise and plan
It is very tempting to start straight away, especially if you are living in the house during the renovation. Start with the rooms you use the most - kitchen, bedroom or family room - and determine how you want it to work for you. By prioritising and planning you renovation, you may discover ways to keep existing furniture and features rather than ripping them out. If you are planning to do the work yourself, there are plenty of online tutorials to guide you.
Can you refresh the interior doors with a lick of paint or a light sanding and a coat of varnish?
Does the kitchen already have a good quality cabinet carcasses and doors? At our Cambridge flat project (opposite), the kitchen cabinets were a tired wood veneer but in great condition. We re-painted the cabinet doors in a bold blue to achieve a modern look.
Another benefit of prioritising your renovation is it gives you the time to find the perfect items to fill your home. There is nothing wrong with taking your time!
“TOP TIP: adjust the kitchen layout to suit your needs by moving round the existing kitchen cabinet carcasses. ”
2. Refresh your current furniture
Reuse what you already have rather than replacing with brand new furniture. Your current furniture may not fit the desired design you’re seeking to achieve through the renovation but think about how you can breath life into these pieces before throwing away. Armchairs and sofas can be reupholstered with new fabric. Use Google, local directories or local friends and family to find upholstery and restoration services.
3. Buy antiques and vintage pieces
Buying vintage, antique or up-cycled pieces is a great way to stylishly furnish your home with classic designs while also being mindful of the environment. Buying antiques is not only a more environmentally friendly, you also save £££ as they are VAT-exempt!
Some of our favourite places to search for vintage and antique pieces are:
eBay
Vinterior
Retrouvius
Selency
Etsy
Online auction sites like The Sale Room
Local antique centres and fairs - for a list of national fairs use Antiques Atlas
4. Alternative materials
If you are looking to buy new, search for furniture and accessories in more environmentally-friendly materials. Cork and bamboo are fast growing, strong, durable materials that can be used across the home. One of our current faves is the Vitra cork side table family!
Using recycled materials is another good way to reduce the environmental impact of your home. Weaver Green rugs are made from recycled plastic bottles and The Recycled Glassware Company do exactly what the name suggests!
Check out local reclamation yards which often have a wide selection of items and materials for your home and garden. Even if they don’t have exactly what you need, it is worth reaching out to them as most can help you with sourcing. If you live in a Georgian or Victorian home, research places selling genuine reclaimed period building materials and supplies.
“TOP TIP: when using search engines like eBay, be specific in your query to filter out the rubbish. For example, type ‘Eames lounge chair’ rather than ‘vintage chair’ and check the option for used”
5. Healthier paints
Air quality is a huge issue around the world - not just outdoors. The air in closed spaces is between 2 and 5 times more polluted than outside air.
Paints emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) - aka the reason you get headaches when painting your walls. They can cause respiratory and other health problems for occupants, when used indoors. Their release into the indoor atmosphere is called off-gassing, and it occurs over time, not just during paint application or drying. Paint brands are keen to highlight their paints are ‘low VOC’ but it’s important to do your research - looks for the grams per litre VOC label on the paint tins or use the brand’s website before purchasing.
Some paint brands leading the way are:
Also think about other methods to cover walls. Tadelakt is a traditional Moroccan plaster finish becoming increasingly popular with interior designers. Why is it more environmentally friendly than paint? This product is based on natural materials so it is biodegradable and can be recycled by crushing it for use in new mortars. Another environmental benefit is that it can be cleaned with water alone, as it is coated with a soap solution to seal it, reducing the need for chemical cleaning products.
In all our designs, we recommend low VOC paints to ensure you have a happy, healthy home. Get in touch now to hear about our 30% discount on e-design packages through to the end of February 2021.
6. Insulate, insulate, insulate!
The UK government has recently introduced the Green Homes Grant which lets you apply for up to £5000 in vouchers to make energy efficient improvements to your home. This can be incredibly useful in reducing your renovation budget and protect your home against freezing winter temperatures. The voucher covers two thirds of eligible improvements such as under floor insulation, low carbon heating measures and some window and door replacements.
Improving your insulation can also save you lots of £££ on gas and electricity bills!
7. Tool share
The average drill is used for just 13 minutes in its lifetime. Many power and hand tools are used infrequently but most of us own them. Not only do they represent a high material intensity, they take up precious space in our homes.
Peer to peer models for tool sharing are popping up across the UK and elsewhere. Some of these tool share initiatives have the added benefit of sharing design and knowledge with the local community. If you are planning to undertake a chunk of the renovation work yourself, borrowing these tools can be a better solution.
8. Buy local
This may seem obvious but try to buy from local craftsmen and makers. Homewares from many large chains can travel thousands of miles before arriving at your door so buying local can reduce your overall carbon footprint. Other benefits from buying local:
It is also much easier to find out whether the product is manufactured ethically and responsibly.
Local makers often produce bespoke products or small batches, giving your home a personalised touch that you don’t find from big name brands.
Did you know that research has found that 63p out of every £1 is returned into the local economy when you shop at a local business, as opposed to 40p in every £1 at a larger one?
“TOP TIP: be cautious with ‘Made in Britain’ labels. Products with imported raw materials from overseas, can still be certified as ‘Made in Britain’. As long as the imported components undergo a “substantial and transformative change” in Great Britain as part of the manufacturing process, a product can be accredited. ”
