World Environment Day 2020: Follow THESE environment conscious decor ideas

Have a little extra time and looking to indulge in some DIY décor for your space? While you décor enthusiasts get creative, remember it’s possible to get super-innovative, while staying environmentally-friendly. This World Environment Day, Saloni Khosla, Head of Spatial Design, Pepperfry and Ms. Ashwini Vaidya Gupte, Design Head, SPACES provide a quick guide to conscious DIY décor that will leave your space refreshed:

1. Reuse, Rethink, Reimagine: 

Upcycling or reusing existing items in creative ways is a great way to jazz things up while being conscious of the environment. Prefer working and lounging in the balcony - create your very own DIY setting! Pull out one of the dining chairs and pair it with one of those versatile archaic trunks, lying in storage. Fill it up with your favorite books, magazines and puzzles and use it as a footstool-cum-coffee table-cum-storage unit, for work and relaxation alike! Chipped plates? Don’t throw them out.

Paint them in bright colors and eccentric motifs and place them on the wall close to a table-lamp. No photo frames? Print a few of your favorite photographs and cut them up to fit the center of the plates and adorn the walls with your memories. Illuminate your abode in flair by using old cups, bowls and cans as candle-holders. Find that spare key holder, and hang your holders, vertically, from the hooks in alternating lengths. Place your tea-lights or diyas inside and voila – some modish lighting for your walls, this season!

2. Waste Not, Want Not: 

Halt between those trips from use to the dustbin! There are tons of ‘throwaway’ items that can make for great DIY décor. Once you uncork that champagne or wine, keep those elegant corks. As soon as you have a strong number, cut the corks horizontally into 5-6 pieces. Place them in different shapes and patterns and glue them together using a glue gun. Get innovative and use this idea to make coasters, placemats, even table runners, for a striking, rustic look!

3. Choose Eco-friendly:

When making your home décor picks, try and choose materials that are more environment-friendly. Are you renovating your house and can’t pick a paint? Let the environment and your health decisions. Opt for zero or low-VOC-emission (volatile organic compounds) paints for your walls or even some quirky wallpaper. For more durable requirements like window or door frames, aluminum and wood are great options. Not only is aluminum toxic-free but it can also be easily repurposed or reused. And of course, the little things count too!

When it comes to items of daily use or décor showpieces, take that little extra time to find items in wood, glass, and stone. In addition to being natural, these items will lend a rustic but classy appeal to your home. Trust us, you’ll keep coming back for more!

4. Swear by the Biophilia Element

Making your abode a green spot with planters, houseplants or even micro-greens can facilitate indoor verdure. One can start with micro-steps by simply hosting a money plant in an uruli set up to create a cool ambiance and increase the oxygen flow in an enclosed space. Other natural air purifiers like fiscus plant, palm or snake plant, can reduce CO2 levels and help keep your décor attractive, clean and refreshing. 

Amp up the interior style quotient by placing a unique set of décor accessories on the center table in your living room. Create a display of a variety of miniature plants like anthuriums, asparagus ferns, succulents and echeveria. Opt for the quirky ceramic planters or repurpose an old crockery item as a planter and strike a stylish decor statement. Place the plants together on a distressed wooden tray to complete the look. 

Adorn the plain walls of your home with hanging plants. Upcycle the flat shampoo/cream bottles into chic planters that will beautify your home. Cut the top half of the bottle with a slant stroke, use a hole puncher to punch a hole on either side of the bottle for inserting the string that needs to be knotted on both sides. Paint them in white or any pastel shade like mauve or pink that complements the string you have used. Plant some succulents in these planters and hang them either on the balcony wall or in the corridor; and just like that you have these chic accent pieces.

5. The Fabric Fad Edit 

We all have those exquisite fabric leftovers that we can never part with or use. Now is the time to repurpose that fabric, by heightening the décor element of your home. Use the fabric by framing it in a unique way and display it on the side table. It can also make for an eccentric element for the study table. 

There is never enough storage space in homes! If you tend to find yourself looking for aesthetic storage baskets and the available choices don’t satisfy you, fret not, we have got you covered. Recycle the denim jeans/jackets into a storage basket. Use the legs part of the denim pants and glue or stitch one end and roll up the other end by creating a hollow space in the middle. Use these exceptionally stylish storage baskets for storing a variety of items, you can also place them on your dressing table to store some beauty essentials.

Switch to conscious décor choices, which will not only spruce up your home for summers but also help make that thoughtful step towards eco-friendly tomorrows. Opt for décor products that are eco-friendly or produced in a chemical-free manner to facilitate conservation.