Green design is the newest leading inspiration in the design world, but unlike many design trends, it is something that is in our power to make last.  Smart eco-friendly design is not something that will come and go with the seasons; it is a standard of living movement that has amassed growing appeal and smart response.

The fundamentals of the going green perspective are about a smart and balanced relationship between ourselves and our world.  In a society where we are so overwrought with the manufactured, it’s time to get back to our roots and appreciate where we come from.  Luckily for us, it is becoming easier and easier to implement the green philosophy within our own homes.

When it comes to our fifthroom, it is essential that our design style mirrors the design philosophy of the home.  This inevitably extends to sustainable design.

So you want to take the steps to a greener design style, but where do you begin?  Today it has become much easier to implement responsible design on our own.  There are multiple eco-friendly products and services offered by a number of companies and manufacturers.  Even retail and specialty stores are rising to the demands of our new standard of living.  It’s a matter of understanding the companies that we utilize and shop from.  Try purchasing items and goods that are manufactured locally or even in the United States.  It can be a challenge, but businesses are responding to our desires and many have begun producing products in America.  This alone can make a big difference in having a green design style, simply by reducing shipping and delivery.

The materials we use in our design can also make a big difference.  There are a number of innovative uses of well-known products that have grown in popularity in the design world.  One of the greenest products out there, and one of my personal creative favorites, is concrete.  Composed of cement bits, water, gravel, stone, and sand, concrete is all natural, 100% recyclable for road material or more concrete, takes little energy to produce and is chemical and VOC free.  There are incredibly beautiful stains and aesthetics out there for concrete.  It can be stained to look like wood, tile, stone, anything you could possibly want, and it can be imprinted with various patterns.  Be it for flooring, counters, fireplaces, etc., concrete today can be styled in such an elegant and inspired way, offering endless and incredibly surprising options.

Using sustainable lumber that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or even reclaimed and refurbished lumber is another way to ensure that we are making responsible and creative decisions.  Reclaimed wood is often recovered from demolished buildings or even salvaged from bottoms of rivers, yet it can make an incredibly stylish statement in the right design once it is re-established aesthetically.  Bamboo is another wood option that is a rapidly renewable resource that is good for its hardness, resilience, dimensional stability and moisture resistance, though it does incur imported shipping costs.

Lighting throughout your home and outdoor room can easily be done in an eco-friendly way as well.  Replace your garden and path lighting with long-lasting LEDs.  Consult with a lighting professional to be sure that your lighting needs are met with the least amount of lamps.

Green design is about nurturing the items that we use in our homes and daily lives, as opposed to just using them.  It’s about recreating our relationships with these items, and with our world.  It is important to implement the philosophies, strategies and systems that improve our quality of life.