These eco-friendly redecorating tip for your living room will save you money and help the environment all at the same time.
EPA reported in 2009 that 9.9 million tons of furniture were thrown in the landfills compared to only 2.2 million tons in 1960, that is an increase of 450%! If you compared the increase in population, it is only a difference of 72%, from 179 million in the 1960s census versus 307 million in 2009. We have engaged in a furniture buying epidemic redecorating our homes a whole lot more often than we really should. There are many ways to make your home looking stylish year after year without having to replace major pieces of your furniture.
1. Try to purchase furniture pieces that have multiple functions, like a convertible sofa. When you have guests over, there’s no need to purchase an additional guest bed and mattress. Simply use the sofa during the day, and when night time rolls around convert it to a full bed for a good night sleep.
2. Keep your sofa or futon lasting for years to come with a slip cover. Slip covers will make your sofa looking brand new every year. Although you’re purchasing extra materials to cover your sofa, this keeps your furniture lasting for years to come to avoid purchasing new pieces that require a ton of new materials to make.
3. Rearranging your furniture will help make the room look entirely different. Take some time to plan out the space in your living room, think of the season in place and how you would like to be closer or further away from the windows.
4. Rotate signature pieces throughout the year. By switching up the decorations with every different season, you will not get bored of your surroundings. Another easy way is to change up your picture frames by giving it a fresh coat of paint rather than buying a whole new set to put up your art work.
5. It’s all about the lighting. Depending on how bright you want your living room to be, you can easily control the natural sunlight and electrical lighting by having a few options of drapes and lampshades. Drapes can be categorized by the thickness of the material for the amount of light you want to come in the room. Light materials such as linen or silk will allow more light, and thick materials such as velvet or twill will keep the light out as well as allowing more privacy. Lampshade-wise, try to find lighter colors for warmer seasons such as spring and summer and darker shades to warm up the room for fall and winter’s colder weather.
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