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Tips For Building an Eco-Friendly Home

March 19, 2021 2

Creating a residential place for your family does not necessarily aim so much at perfection but authenticity. With the current transformation and changes that have taken place in the global climate, individuals who wish to build a home should ensure the houses constructed do not make our environment worse. Moreover, embracing a natural lifestyle is very beneficial to the human body, spirit, and mind.

What is an Eco-Friendly Home?

Eco-friendly homes are those built using materials and technologies that do not harm the environment further. For instance, a home that relies on wind and solar energy falls into this category. The current trend is taking a positive turn, where we have seen many people going for environmentally-friendly houses. However, some lack the knowledge to create such buildings. This detailed article will inform you about the best ways to build an eco-friendly home, whether you are constructing from scratch or renovating an old one.

Choose Timeless Finishes

vYou don’t have to feel limited when it comes to the finish you apply to your home. You can use outstanding finishes without sacrificing the house’s aesthetics. Years back, people looked forward to warm and welcoming spaces. However, today, to achieve environmentally-friendly abodes, it is recommendable to yearn for safe spaces conscious of our lives on earth.

When it comes to the interior décor, choosing colors, styles, and designs that do not require regular changing is a wise idea. The finishes should have permanence for you. For instance, using a matte black tapware finish on your kitchen cabinets can help them last up to 50 years. Therefore, do not look at how classic the finish is as long as it is timeless to you and it will serve you for years to come.

Make Sure Everything is Built to Last

Choosing sustainable materials for your construction is not an option if you want to achieve an environmentally-responsible home. Besides the aesthetic appeal, cost and life cycle are the other considerations to make when choosing the materials. Additionally, consider how easy it is to reuse or recycle the material. If you cannot reuse it, then disposing of that material in the future should not negatively affect the environment.

Many factors dictate the durability of a particular material. If you plan on having an underground tank, for instance, you should know that its construction, installation, soil conditions, and maintenance affect its lifespan. However, it can typically last for 20 years or more. Besides sustainability and cost reduction, having suitable construction materials reduces your exposure to life-threatening organic compounds and pollutants significantly. Some wall coverings, paints, and carpeting release toxic compounds that tamper with the air quality inside a house.

Considering the many hours you will be spending at home, it is advisable to minimize toxins’ exposure by getting healthier material alternatives. Using construction materials sustainably means their present use will not interfere with future use by affecting the environment or running out. Very few materials meet this requirement, and they are the ones you should get if you want an eco-friendly home.

Focus on Smaller Projects to Be Green and On-Budget

Small houses are not only eco-friendly but also cost-effective. Besides occupying a small footprint, a smaller home can save you a lot on the materials required and the energy consumed to warm or cool it down. In 2018, a report showed that the average monthly housing cost was $1,566. That shows the more extensive the home, the more money you spend on it. Statistics show that the average number [of people in an American home has gone down from 3.8 to 2.6, yet the home sizes have ballooned over time.

People need to understand that these improper size-to-occupant ratios are bringing additional issues to our environment. If we desire to achieve green projects, we should be ready to adhere to a more solid square-footage-per-individual code. However, we also need to shift our focus from total house size to proper usage of resources and quality green projects.

Using Barn Doors As a Decorative Piece

February 12, 2020 0

Barn doors are an excellent way to introduce eye-catching decorative elements into your home’s decor. They come in different styles from a country look to a more modern feel and can be used for closets, bathrooms, or pantries. If you are limited on space, barn doors are an excellent way to manage the floor plan because there is almost zero clearance for them. They are also excellent substitutions for traditional cabinetry as they can be used to add style to a kitchen island or for cabinetry in a bathroom design. The charm and character they add to a home’s decor can be as unique as you choose. 

Beautiful barn doors can be installed flat to the wall or at a 90-degree angle to add even more interest. What’s more exciting about these beautiful design elements is they can be made with any material from environment-friendly reclaimed wood to metal materials. The hardware used to install barn doors can also create and contribute to the overall feature of the door. They can be applied to almost any space for functionality and add a unique character. The design options with barn doors are almost limitless.

The Design Element

The design element and functionality of barn doors work in a variety of different spaces. They can be constructed of reclaimed wood, metal materials, or even framed glass. You can create barn doors in any size you choose. For a more stately piece, you can design a one that is twice the size of a normal door and still be able to keep your floor plan spacing intact. For a more scaled-down model, you can create a barn door that is smaller in size. Regardless of the size of the doors, these beautiful design features add a unique character to a room that is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.

Eco-friendly Materials

One of the many neat features of barn doors is that they can be created from eco-friendly materials. These environmentally friendly materials help to save you money and are good for the environment because they are made using renewable materials. Renewable materials can be found at deeply discounted prices from your local hardware stores or secondhand stores that specialize in recyclable materials. 

Just because a barn door is made from reclaimed or recycled materials, doesn’t mean that it would not be as attractive as a more custom made door. In fact, the opposite is true. Recycled materials can add such a unique aspect to your barn door design. More than likely the materials are left over from other projects, therefore, they are probably not readily available to other consumers.

Creating your Own Unique Barn Door Design

If you’re in the market for a barn door and not able to find what you want within your budget, you are able to create a timeless design piece using reclaimed materials. By designing your own barn door, the sky is truly the limit. The only limitation with this option is your imagination. This type of DIY project would take some time, but in the end, it would be worth it to know you have created a truly unique design piece customized just for your personal space. 

From the hardware selection to the choices of door materials, there is no limit to your design for your customized door. Even though this would be a customized piece for your home, this doesn’t mean that you would pay a higher price. The pricing to make your own barn door can be as low as $200 to $300. Depending on the material and the size, prices can increase significantly for a larger or heavier door. The choice, however, is totally up to you.

Adding a barn door design to your home can create a unique feeling by adding a touch of character to any space. Whether you plan to use them for your bedroom, bathroom or for the pantry in your kitchen, these functional design pieces can add a touch of style to any home. They are a cost-effective option for installing a traditional pocket door and are excellent if you are limited on floor space. The main goal for your home is to design a space that works for you.