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Interior room design
The eco perspectiveThis part of my website looks at interior room design for each area in your home - from a health, wellbeing and environmental perspective. I will lead you through eco materials, finishes, products and accessories which suit particular functions, tasks and interior environments collectively. Rather than looking at an evaluation of a specific material as found in the eco materials section of my resource webpages, this is a more holistic view of the entire room, from the lounge, bathroom to your children’s playroom.
The Kitchen
The kitchen has to be the first point of call! The hub of your home and my favourite room. I love kitchens! Especially those that have enough space for a table and chairs and perhaps a comfy window seat looking out onto a peaceful view. I can think of nothing better than pottering around the kitchen; having green tea and a natter with friends, painting on my easel overlooking the garden, cooking dinner whilst listening to music, practising Tai Chi or baking cookies on a rainy day. Now, combine all of that with the eco perspective, creating a kitchen that is not only beautiful, comforting and functional – but is healthy, sustainable and has as little negative effect on the natural environment.
View Part 1 of eco kitchens - A green guide to cupboards / units
The Bedroom
Your own personal haven! You spend as much as one third of your life in bed, so carrying through eco awareness to your bedroom is equally as important. As you lay on your mattress asleep, your body is in physical contact with a variety of synthetic materials and as you sleep you inhale any toxic offgassing emissions. These toxins come from a number of sources; pesticides and fertilisers used in farming, bleaching agents and dyes used during the manufacturing process and additives for fire and stain and water resistant qualities. By the time a plant fibre like cotton has reached you the user, it is not recognisable as a natural material. No wonder your sleep is a little disturbed. The following interior room design articles look at each area in your bedroom and provide a breakdown of eco alternatives which are not made with synthetic / petrochemical / polyurethane based toxic materials.
View Part 1 of eco bedroom ideas - mattresses
The Home Office
This is either an area or a whole room that combines your professional and personal life. Typically your home office is problem area when it comes to layout, storage and space! If you have a small home your home office is usually an after thought - in the corner of your living room or bedroom. As with the other rooms in your home there are steps you can take to make this area more environmentally friendly and less hazardous to your heatlh. The amount of electronics you use can equal the same amount of electricity as in your kitchen - quite a feat. And considering this may be somewhere you spend a lot of time, it would be an idea to make it as comfortable and healthy as possible.
View Part 1 of eco home office ideas - style & furniture
The Bathroom
Relax, unwind and soak in a long hot bath after a hard days work. Wash your worries down the plug hole. Great you say? Well not every day..... Your bathroom uses a large amount of water on a daily basis, so it is a good idea to try and limit how much you use in a week. You can of course indulge yourself with long soaks in the bath - just a little less frequently. These articles focus on water saving in your bathroom, read on for some great ideas and advice on how to green your bathroom. View Part 1 of eco bathrooms - toilets & toilet seats View Part 2 of eco bathrooms - basins & taps View Part 3 of eco bathrooms - baths & showers View Part 4 of eco bathrooms - tiles, paint & flooring View Part 5 of eco bathrooms - furniture, lighting, ventilation & soft furnishings If you have enjoyed reading my bathroom articles, follow this link to the "In the Press" main page, which includes a copy of my recent article The top 10 eco bathroom tips - published in a local newspaper supplement in Feb 08. Return from interior room design to the homepage
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