5 Stylish, Sustainable Design Ideas for Your Home

Your home is an authentic reflection of your style, personality, and family’s needs — which evolve over time. So, it’s not surprising you want to makeover a room you absolutely loved two years ago. It’s no longer functional and, honestly, you’re itching to get your hands on some no-VOC paint.

Because redecorating can be expensive and often doesn’t support sustainable design, we’ve found five stylish, affordable solutions to update your space. And these easy DIY projects can be tackled in a weekend or less, so your home will have a fresh new look in no time flat.

1. Paint the Unexpected

Paint can make a splash when it’s not on your walls.  Look up, look down, and all around for nooks and crannies that can be personalized with vibrant colors. Consider painting your stairs with your family motto or a pocket door with chalkboard paint for a reusable artist’s canvas. Like us, you and your guests will smile every time you walk into a space with these surprising details.

2. Flea Market Forms Meet Function

The next time you’re at the flea market or “shopping” in your garage, keep an eye out for weathered or vintage tools that can be given new life inside your home. Here, we transformed an old ladder into a magazine rack. Or use it as a rustic towel rack or throw blanket display.

3. Grocery Store Décor

Nature provides endless design inspiration, so think outside the crate the next time you’re in the produce aisle. A certain fruit’s color or veggie’s shape may grab your attention, a grouping of which will make a great architectural centerpiece. By keeping this arrangement simple and limiting it to the same fruit/color, our kitchen accent has maximum impact.

4. Fab Faux Wallpaper

Love the look of wallpaper but hate that it feels so permanent? Then create a chic tone-on-tone accent wall using two varieties of no-VOC paint in the same color. Simply use matte or eggshell finish as your base coat before applying the complementary glossy or metallic version in your fave pattern. Honest’s polka dot wall was created using a handmade stencil, but you could easily recreate it freehand.

5. Designer Looks on a Dime

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the savviest of them all? You will be when you transform an outdated or inexpensive frame into a modern must-have. By painting an ornate or traditional mirror in current colors (think neon, mixed metals, or matte black), you’ll create an eye-catching piece straight from the pages of a magazine. But only you’ll know that this accessory didn’t break the bank. Our bonus tip? Hang your upcycled beauty in a small room that you want to visually enlarge. We hung this mirror as a focal point in a narrow lounge to reflect light and give the illusion of space.

Want more? Liven up your space with these design and DIY ideas for a healthy home. And share you creative, budget, and eco-friendly décor ideas here, too.