13 tips on creating environment-friendly interiors
Jan 04, 2017 Interiors
Text: Saylee Soundalgekar
Photograph: iStock
Photograph: iStock
Green Interior Designing or GID, is all about what is good and what is bad for people's health, for the environment and for saving energy. Of course, fashion is a big part of Green Interior Designing, but it is not the most important thing. The watch words of green interior design are not: 'cool', 'contemporary', 'stylish' and 'now'; instead, they are: 'sustainable', 'recycled', 'non-toxic', 'locally sourced', 'renewable' and 'organic', says interior designer Swati Seth.
1. The main culprits of air pollution in newly-done-up premises are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, formaldehyde, methylene-chloride, styrene, chlorofluorocarbons and acetone. Most of these compounds are highly toxic, and have a tendency to persist in atmospheric air and also migrate with ground-water. They are found in a wide range of interior products such as paints, paint-thinners, wall-coverings and furniture-glue. It is advisable to use water-based paints and polishes instead of oil-based products. Even adhesives with low VOCs are available in the market.
2. Use AAC (autoclaved aerated concrete) blocks instead of red bricks to construct walls because of the material's low environmental impact.
3. Use broken bricks for waterproofing in bathrooms or wet areas.
4. Use CPVC pipes for plumbing and electrification and copper pipes for potable water.
5. If budget is not a constraint, wireless automation is a good option, as it eliminates the need of switches and wires, besides assisting in judicious use of lights.
6. Lime-plaster can be used instead of plaster of paris on walls. It can also be used in bathrooms instead of tiles to have a seamless surface. The pigments added to lime plaster are natural. As lime-plaster is made from lime and marble, it is very eco-friendly.
7. Estimate the marble requirement for flooring after making a floor-drawing from the available marble size. Also order tiles similarly.
8. Make door-frames, doors, counters, shelves and partitions from plywood and clad it with laminate or veneer. Use aluminium channels for internal framework and use a 6 mm to 12 mm plywood sheet on front and back surface.
9. There are beautiful vinyl films available in a wide range of finishes to substitute melamine polish, PU coating and lamination on wooden surfaces. These films can be applied on any smooth surface such as glass, plywood, MDF and acrylic.
10. Use good quality materials which have longer life spans so that the replacement cycle is longer.
11. Use the wasted/surplus wood to create candle-stands, coasters, mats or planters for artificial flowers to beautify the premises.
12. Use appliances with high energy ratings.
13. If you are disposing off old fittings and furniture which are in working condition, consider donating them to the poor or needy; individual or institutions. Refrain from disposing old materials as junk. Reuse is an integral part of a green interior design and thus, of a green environment.
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About the author
Swati Sheth
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