Contemporary green homes needn't be lacking in style or comfort. There are many ways to have a contemporary and comfortable home that is also environmentally friendly. Many people have the perception that a green home will be highly functional yet lacking in style and comfort. This need not be the case. There are many highly styled and fashionable household appliances and building materials that look great and are also kind to the environment.
Ideas for Modern Green Homes
If you want to make your home environmentally friendly and feature many contemporary designs, then there are plenty of options available to you.
Green Home Building
Unless you are in the position of building a home from scratch, the main way that you can make your home more environmentally friendly is to choose eco-friendly doors, windows and other features when the originals need replacing. Environmentally friendly windows, for instance, look great yet also contain many energy saving features. These help to cut fuel bills and save on energy consumption.
You may be considering building a new conservatory or having a patio or terrace built. If so, talk to a green home builder and ask for advice about environmentally friendly options. These include using recycled wood and recycled plastic alternatives to wood as well as items made from recycled glass. Bamboo is another environmentally friendly material that is useful in a green contemporary home. This is both stylish and eco-friendly as bamboo is a renewable resource and a good alternative to wood.
Energy Efficient Appliances
A modern home is often full of many different household appliances. These include washing machines, heaters and air conditioners, water heaters and many other items that are part of day to day life. Contemporary green homes can also contain appliances that help to make life easier. Look for energy efficient models. The EnergyStar label is an excellent indicator of how energy efficient a product is. This gives you all the essential information about the energy consumption levels and how this compares with other products. This allows the modern householder who is interested in green living to make a well informed decision when buying new appliances.
Conserving Water
Water conservation is important, yet often gets overlooked when people are planning a green home. In a new home, water saving devices can be purchased and installed. In an existing home, it will often be necessary to replace old appliances that use a lot of water with more efficient alternatives when the situation arises. Low flow toilets, for instance, use significantly less water than traditional alternatives. In the meantime, water can be conserved by not leaving the tap dripping, turning the water off when cleaning teeth and other simple measures that can have far reaching benefits.
Growing Your Own Vegetables
Contemporary homes often have modern gardens that don't follow traditional lines. These are ideal for growing vegetables and fruit as these can be grown in containers as well as in beds. Growing vegetables at home is a great way to reduce the amount of food miles that produce travels as well as providing fresh and tasty produce.
Life's Luxuries
Going green needn't mean a life without comfort or luxury. A contemporary home is often filled with unusual and attractive decorations and accessories. There are many green alternatives and there is a growing trend for artists to work with found objects, creating unique yet environmentally friendly art. Another growing trend is the repurposing of objects. This can be an ideal way to turn unwanted items into something new and give them a new lease of life.
Environmentally Friendly and Stylish Homes
Green living in a contemporary home is possible with a little forward planning. Looking for environmentally friendly alternatives often offers a surprisingly wide range of choices that are compatible with a contemporary and stylish home.
