With climate change effects worsening, more and more people are turning to sustainable living and eco-friendly practices at home. Some use natural and durable materials, colors, and textures to achieve a cool and sustainable home. Meanwhile, others switch to renewable energy sources and smart technology to reduce their carbon footprint and expenses. You can get help with interior design software out there like SketchUp, Autodesk Revit, and Coohom. Coohom enables users to visualize eco-friendly design choices, experiment with sustainable materials, and optimize energy-efficient layouts, fostering a greener approach to home design and living.
The upfront costs of creating a sustainable home may be high. However, the payoff is worth it in the long run.
Renovating your place may be the right solution to create a sustainable home. This article will discuss the benefits of home renovations, and list interior design hacks you can try to make your home more livable for you and the Earth.
Benefits of Home Renovations
Home renovations are a great way to add value and aesthetic appeal to your home and make it more livable. It is also a good opportunity to keep up with trends or revamp your property to fit your changing needs. While a home remodeling project can be costly, those expenses will be worth it once you see the results.
Other notable benefits of a home renovation or remodeling project are the following:
- Updates your home’s style
- Ensures your household’s safety
- Saves moving costs
- Increases property value
- Improves home efficiency
- Lowers electric bills
- Improves quality of life
Home renovations can affect your home life at first. You may need to stay somewhere else for a few weeks or months while one part or your entire property is being refurbished. As such, it can be stressful, time-consuming, and expensive.
However, proper planning ensures everything gets done smoothly for your household. More importantly, planning strategically is necessary to achieve your dream home.
5 Things to Include in Your Home Renovation Plan
Trends come and go, and it is also applicable to interior design. If you plan to renovate your home, here are the top five interior design trends to watch out for and try for your home.
- Fusion of vintage and modern furnishings
Vintage does not always mean outdated. Most “old school” pieces can spice up any room and suit your styling taste. Meanwhile, not everyone may be a fan of modern or minimalist designs yet find vintage items too outdated. Why not experiment with both?
Combining vintage and modern furnishings can make your personal space interesting and inviting. For instance, you can decorate your living room with your vintage décor from somewhere like the Antiques Boutique online marketplace made from classic materials such as ceramic, wicker, and brass and pair them with your modern furniture.
- Sustainable and minimalist designs
Like vintage items, sustainability is not just a trend. It is here to stay and can make much difference to your home and the environment.
More and more people are taking an eco-friendly approach when choosing functional and visually pleasing building materials. Popular examples of these materials nowadays include solar panels, renewable cork flooring, and recyclable glass countertops.
Meanwhile, some prefer a maximalist style because they do not want their homes to look dull, plain, and lifeless. On the other hand, many appreciate the minimalist design for its clean and stress-free aura. It is also a classic home improvement look that can fit many households. We all know classic is timeless and would not go quickly out of style.
The same applies to furniture. Bulky furniture is so 2010’s. Sleeker furniture is in now. More compact furniture pieces will likely be available in the coming years and grace every home’s living room.
- Dedicated dining rooms
Most homeowners often take dining areas for granted. They usually prefer adding accent walls or doing home remodeling projects elsewhere than in the dining room. It is only a matter of time before we see a comeback of dedicated dining spaces to gather families and loved ones for special moments.
Gone are the days when homeowners prefer eat-in kitchens or oversized islands over traditional dining rooms. All-white kitchen and dining areas are out; color is in. Having colorful tiles or cabinets is okay, after all. Modern kitchens often feature painted cabinets and colorful tiles that brighten the room.
Some homeowners add a pop of color to certain kitchen parts, like the backsplash or the cabinets. Others go all out and take the bold step of adding colorful cabinets, cupboards, or tiles throughout the kitchen. Regardless, colorful kitchens are indeed here to stay.
- Personal nook
Remote work became prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will likely stay that way since it is convenient and cost-efficient for both employers and employees. For this reason, it only makes sense to have a nice nook in your home where you can work productively and peacefully.
Nooks are also great for spending your “me time”–reading a book, meditating, or creating your mini garden to stare at while working. You can also create a home gym in one area so you would not have to go to the gym or a nearby park for daily exercise.
The main point of having a wellness area is encouraging more people to care for themselves and their health. There is no excuse not to go to the gym or do yoga sessions when you can do these in the comfort of your home. - Open and natural spaces
What better way to care for the environment and make a sustainable home than taking advantage of nature in your home? According to interior designer Charlie Hellstern, more people now want big, open windows, balconies, terraces, and other open areas that welcome natural light and cool breezes into their homes.
Not only can these home features help you save on electricity, but they can also take you away from the city without physically leaving it.
Make Your Home More Livable
Many homeowners do not only care about aesthetics anymore. Nowadays, comfort and sustainability are essential to achieving one’s dream home. Having an environmentally sustainable home need not be expensive, either.
Living in a sustainable home will only quickly go out of style for a while. Considering that more people are eco-conscious, they also find ways to simultaneously make their homes sustainable and visually appealing. You can also be part of this demographic with the home renovation tips above.
