These days, eco-friendly design is one of the most important emerging trends in home renovations and interior décor. Let’s explore some of the most prominent eco-friendly trends that are happening in the marketplace right now.
Eco-Friendly Materials
In every room of the home, earth friendly flooring is becoming increasingly important. Wood flooring, bamboo flooring and cork flooring are all popular choices that reflect this current trend.
Eco-friendly tile is another important item at the moment. Stone tiles, recycled clay tiles, and reclaimed tiles are all finding their way into both the interiors and exteriors of new and newly remodeled homes.
When repainting walls, cabinetry or other interior surfaces, savvy consumers are increasingly searching for organic, natural and non-toxic paints. We’re thinking that perhaps this trend is still at the beginning of the bell curve, and we expect to see it increase in importance in the future.
Home textiles are also trending towards environmentally conscious designs. Designers are increasingly incorporating natural fibers and eco-friendly materials into many areas of the home. While synthetic fibers still do have their place as well, there’s been a definite backlash among environmentally conscious consumers against fibers with ties to the petrochemical industry.
Organic cotton is particularly popular with parents who are shopping for new nursery décor or children’s home accessories. It’s also a trendy choice for many other uses, from table linens to bedding.
Water Conservation Efforts in Many Areas of Home Design
There are several important factors converging to create an increased demand for water saving appliances, water saving toilets, eco performance shower heads, and water efficient faucets and aerators.
For starters, the popular press has been raising concerns about the world’s dwindling water resources, coupled with growing population trends. Closer to home, droughts in certain areas of the USA, particularly California, have been problematic in the recent past. Consumers are concerned with rising costs in general, and particularly with mounting water bills. Environmentalists have also begun to make progress towards convincing both regulatory agencies and the general public that water conservation is a worthy goal to pursue.
These conditions have motivated an increased water consciousness among consumers. When remodeling their kitchens and bathrooms, they’re paying particular attention to not only the cost of new appliances and fixtures, but to the overall costs associated with future use of their purchases.
We see this as being a big win for industry professionals who are able to help savvy consumers realize the opportunities for offsetting their remodeling costs with future savings.