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Make your next home improvements eco-friendly ones!

Before you get started moving furniture and prepping to paint the walls, check out these easy tips for greening your room makeover. Generally, this also means choosing options that are healthier for the planet and for your family.

  1. Make the best use of existing space before you upsize your home's footprint: consider removing a wall, scaling down furniture, or rearranging rooms for different use. Adding onto your home is not always the only option.
  2. Repurpose existing furniture and storage options in your home before buying new. Turn an old baby dresser into open shelves, repaint an old toy box for storage in another room, and so on.
  3. Fix up used furniture you find in thrift stores or at garage sales. A fresh coat of paint or a nice stenciled design can really improve an old piece of furniture.
  4. Choose a non-toxic paint with low- or, even better, no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Safer for your family and readily available in many paint brands and colors.
  5. Use environmentally responsible materials that are recycled, renewable, organic, non-toxic, purchased locally, and from eco-conscious sellers, whenever possible. This can mean lumber, flooring, rugs, slipcovers, and more.
  6. Go energy efficient. Choose energy-efficient appliances and plan to use compact fluorescent light bulbs in all your lighting fixtures.
  7. Plan for houseplants. Plants help clean the air in your home, and the right ones can even help generate fresh air.

It's always fun to see how many greener options are less expensive options too. That helps makes up for the sometimes-higher price of many recycled or eco-friendly supplies and materials.

What eco-friendly tips do you have room makeovers and improvements?