What is Sustainable Interior Design — And Why Does It Matter?

Effects on human health for those inside the home

Consumer worries are founded. According to the EPA, irritants and pollutants can impact people living in the home in a variety of ways that might include:

• Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
• Headaches, dizziness, and fatigue
• Respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer

For instance, radon is a known carcinogen and is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Carbon monoxide is toxic, and even short-term exposure to high carbon monoxide levels indoors can cause death.

Instances of Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia, have been associated with buildings with poorly maintained air conditioning or heating systems. And plenty of indoor air pollutants are known asthma triggers, such as dust mites, mold, pet dander, tobacco smoke, and cockroach allergens.

What are examples of sustainable design?

If sustainable interior design sounds high-tech or just plain daunting, consider that some of its principles have already long been at work in many typical residential scenarios.

For instance, carpeting is a great insulator, retaining as much as 10% of the heat in a room that would otherwise be lost, and this, in turn, results in ​​the use of less heat and saving major energy. Similarly, curtains and drapes keep both heat from the sun and cold air out of the home.

When it comes to building materials, sustainable interior design prioritizes renewable materials, like bamboo, which grows quickly. Bamboo makes great flooring and is often found in home furnishings and accessories.

Jerome Leyba, a top-selling agent in the Santa Fe area, explains that local homes have been built with affordable, sustainable adobe for hundreds of years.

“Adobe is a sustainable product, an energy-efficient product, and a long-lasting product,” he says, noting the appealing practical, sustainable qualities have made the building material so enduring. “Our history and our culture flows through our architecture. It has been a style that has been consistently displayed in the area for hundreds of years, and that’s what makes it so special.”

Sustainable interior design tips

Tracy acknowledges, “It is hard to not feel overwhelmed with the thought of overhauling your entire living space to be more eco-friendly.” But the good news is, she says, “Luckily, as the industry holistically shifts towards sustainability, easy and affordable solutions are popping up that consumers can make now to generate a greater collective impact later.”

This means choosing from among abundantly available and environmentally friendly materials for furniture, flooring and rugs, and more, such as reclaimed wood, sustainable bamboo, recycled metal and plastic, and jute, which “acts as a natural heat insulator, so look for this fiber in your area rugs too to reduce your home’s energy use.”