A summer refresh is easy with these eco-friendly tips! Let’s explore simple ways to use textiles, accessories, and other tips to switch up your seasonal style, elevating your home from dreary to cheery!

Beautiful Fabrics – Safe for your Family and the Environment! 

Textiles have come a long way, offering a wide range of eco-friendly fabrics for your home.

Consumers want to know how fabrics are made. Are the fabrics and manufacturing processes free of harmful chemicals? Are the materials from a renewable resource or made from recycled post-consumer materials, like plastic bottles?

Fortunately, we can rely on labels to guide us in choosing eco-friendly products. Look for Global Organic Textile Standards, (GOTS), Green Guard, Green Seal, Oeko-Tex Standards, and standards listed under the Textile Exchange to ensure you are making an informed decision when purchasing products. With this information to guide you, a wide range of fabric options, from plant fibres to eco-friendly synthetic fibres, await you.

Pillow Covers Please!

Armed with your knowledge of sustainable fabrics, let’s dive into our simple summer refresh. Switching out pillows is one of the most popular and effective ways to change the look and feel of your space. Tuck away those woolly throws and velvet pillows in favour of a fresh look that makes your heart sing.

Complement your walls, curtains, or sofa with fresh colour and patterns. Mix solid colours with patterns or add in florals to the mix. This living room feels relaxed and fresh, I love the punch of colour combined with the patterned pillows.

Choose pillow covers instead of pillows with inserts and save yourself money, storage space, and future trips to the landfill! Pillow covers made from natural fibres such as organic cotton, linen, bark cloth, and bamboo are just a few of your options!

Flex your Creative Muscle!

Flex your creative muscle and design your fabric with Spoonflower.com, or choose one of their many beautiful designs. Printing only what you need, Spoonflower offers sustainable fabric options printed with water based, non-toxic inks. Here is a quick and easy tutorial to help you sew a zippered pillow cover for your refreshed summer look.

Warm & Cozy to Cool & Comfy

Replacing your wool throw with an organic cotton or linen throw is better suited for those cooler summer nights, all while introducing a pop of colour.

Complete this relaxed summer look by adding texture and interest with handwoven baskets or area rugs.

Swap out your Area Rugs and Runners

Natural fibres are a great option for your home. Woven from renewable, natural fibers and ethically grown, these rugs are a sustainable alternative to synthetic rugs. I have a sisal runner I roll out every summer. It looks fresh and casual, and it feels great on bare feet! Companies like CICIL use only natural, renewable materials. Their rugs are made in the USA with a traceable, localized supply chain. Bigger brands such as West Elm offer rugs that are sustainably sourced and Fair Trade as well.

The Multi-Purpose Basket!

With an amazing range of styles, baskets are a beautiful option for plants, storing toys, books, and throws while adding texture and a fresh look to your room. Look for baskets made from natural materials that use natural dyes, little to no pesticides, and are biodegradable. Baskets crafted from Palm Leaves, Sea Grass, or Sisal that are produced by artisans who are paid fairly, are widely available.

Businesses like Indego Africa and Serrv International offer a wide range of beautiful, responsibly crafted baskets and wall décor. When purchasing products, the Fair Trade certification ensures you are supporting sustainable production processes and fair labour practices. The Fair Trade Certified™ seal represents thousands of products. Supporting these products improves millions of lives, and protects land and waterways in 62 countries, and counting! 

Finds from Home!

Enliven your room with flowers and decorative items from around your home. Say “no” to buying more décor! Be creative when repurposing items from around your home or tucked away in cupboards.

The brightly coloured glass vase, paperweight, and greenery look fresh and vibrant in this neutral space. They add interest and look beautiful next to the vibrant blue pillows.

Go Green with Plants & Flowers

Incorporating greenery into your room will do more than enliven and freshen your space, studies suggest that indoor plants provide many benefits such as improved air quality and reduced stress.

Fresh flowers brighten every space. They smell wonderful and put a smile on your face any time of year, but the summer months bring blooms to your doorstep! Gather flowers and greenery from your garden or patio pots and take advantage of your local farmer’s markets for fresh local flowers.

 

Finding ways to breath new life into your home while remaining committed to reducing your eco-footprint is easy when you do your research, check labels, know the brands you support, and ask questions. Be creative and have fun with the home you love!

 

Disclosure: None of the links in this article are affiliated. The links included are for attribution and your convenience.

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Christine is the founder of Bobbie Broon Home and an accredited member of Decorators & Designers Association of Canada. 

Hello@bobbiebroon.ca

Bobbie Broon Home