Sustainable Floor Material | Floorrich
Earth Day, Earth Hour, World Environment Day, and more – the list of movements aimed at protecting nature is endless. Be it due to climate change or living a life that stands true to one’s ethical values, there is no denying that people all around the world are becoming more aware of environmental responsibility. From the no-straw campaign to the push for the use of reusable grocery bags, several government initiatives encourage the going-green lifestyle too! Seamlessly finding its way into parts of our daily lives, it comes as no surprise that sustainable and green living has had some influence over the world of interior design.
Green Living vs Sustainability
If you’re all for saving the planet, there are two terms that you may have stumbled upon – “green” and “sustainable”. Though used interchangeably, there are a few key differences between the two. “Green” indicates advocacy for environmentalism – it is that simple. Sustainability, on the other hand, is more of a lifestyle. It dives deeper into being “green” and looks into resources that cannot be replenished quickly enough and deems it unsustainable.
A Breakdown on Sustainable Interior Design
Given the differences between green products and sustainable design, there are certain factors to consider when designing a sustainable home. Sustainable interior design thus requires an in-depth look at everything used within a home – from eco-friendly flooring options to designing with the future in mind, sustainable interior design entails much thought. Some of these include:
1. Lowest environmental impact
Love the idea of having your entire home covered with parquet? Highly in demand due to the luxuriousness it exudes, trees are harvested more than ever before. Hence, materials like wood that are extracted in an environmentally responsible way are pivotal in sustainable design. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) labels on timber flooring are an indicator that the material was harvested sustainably.
2. Waste reduction
When renovating a home, products inevitably get discarded. Be sure that the interior design scheme you plan on abiding by is timeless and will not go out of style. Opting for any type of wood flooring known for being versatile and long-lasting is a good option to build your home upon. Better still, the floor can be recycled or repurposed should you decide to replace your floors in the future.
3. Longevity and flexibility
Tapping on the above, it is important to consider the lifespan of your flooring and design components. Choosing quality over quantity will save you loads of money in the long-term.
4. A healthy and green home
Wondering if your flooring is healthy? As people spend more time at home due to the pandemic, try designing with a healthy environment in mind. Choose flooring that is low in VOCs, such as our HDB vinyl flooring. The Floorrich non-toxic vinyl flooring not only improves indoor air quality but also ensures that it is safe for your kids, pets, and the elderly.
A Peek into Sustainable Interior Design Trends
Keen to design your home based on sustainable interior design trends? To kickstart your journey to sustainability, you can start with the basics of interior design – flooring. Upon choosing the best-fit sustainable flooring material to have installed in your home, you can then layer other design elements to complete the entire look.
1. Laying the right foundation with sustainable flooring
For reasons such as the fight against deforestation, natural wood flooring might not seem like the best option at first glance. However, given its longevity and an increasing number of eco-friendly certified options (i.e. FSC and PEFC accreditation) to choose from, solid wood flooring is actually a reasonable choice for your home in Singapore. Alternatively, you could go for engineered wood flooring that utilises less wood, making it more environmentally friendly. Man-made materials like vinyl are also worth considering. Contrary to popular belief, vinyl flooring is not harmful – at least not those distributed by Floorrich. Our vinyl flooring is a healthy, resilient type that is low in VOCs.
2. Other design elements to consider
Lighting One of the main contributing factors of climate change is the over-consumption of energy – and lighting is one of the culprits. To ensure that your home is designed for energy efficiency, use energy-saving light bulbs.
Paint choices A sustainable interior design principle is designing a healthy environment. Containing high emissions of VOC, paints can lead to indoor air pollution if there is a lack of ventilation. Instead of constantly painting your walls to revamp your home interior, why not install versatile flooring like white oak flooring or American walnut wood flooring that will complement any interior design scheme? At Floorrich, you’ll be spoilt for choice since our engineered and solid wood flooring comes in a variety of colours and stains.
Recycling or reusing furniture Probably an obvious tip, but it is crucial that every purchase is a practical one. It is thus important to differentiate wants from needs and reuse old furniture pieces wherever possible.