Making the lounge or the living room feel like a room that you are able to relax is not easy.  There are so many different options and so many shops pushing offers down your throat.  Here at GreenASAP we are always looking to strive for the most natural and eco friendly way to make living happy and enjoyable.  The most sustainable option that we always revert back to is Wood.  Wooden furniture is available for all parts of the house and can be a full range of colours from maple to oak to mahogany.

Wooden furniture offers the ability to make your lounge contemporary while still showing off quality hand made furniture from sustainable recycled wood.

There are many different types of designs and layouts that you may choose from and the internet is one of the best places to get ideas before you go out and buy furniture.

As with every one, including myself, I want to do everything now and cant wait so I would normally go out and start shopping for furniture that I want for the rooms that I have set my goal to revamp!! DONT… this is wrong.  Make a list of all the things that you think you need for that room and then read over the list looking at what item you have noted down and then decide if they really are needed. Decide on a theme for the room, contemporary, retro… then look how these items will fit in to your style,most common mistakes involve buying before deciding on a style.

Flooring

Try and stay away from your carpeted floors. The humble carpet is suprising bad for the environment. Why is this I hear you shouting from the back…..well the majority of carpets are constructed from petrochemical based materials such as nylon and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is toxic to make, toxic in itself and toxic when disposed of. Carpets are ususally constructed in layers which include the base, backing and surfave pile. Each layer contains toxic adhesives, colouring agents and anti microbial chemicals. There is a body of thought which has even suggested that these chemical compounds get released slowly into the atmosphere over time and may cause ill health in humans.  Another real consideration with carpets is that they are very diffcult to dispose of and usually end up in landfill sites where the toxic chemicals are free to leach in to soils and underlying water reserves.

Not only are carpets toxic to construct but they get dirty very easily and are proven to absorb other chemicals and dirt (despite regular hoovering). These are some of the main reasons not to buy synthetic carpets but no means all of the problems.

What are the alternatives to synthetic carpets?

Timber from sustainable sources (check for the correct certification) makes excellent flooring as not only is it good for the environment but it is also hard wearing and easy to clean. Bamboo flooring is gaining in popularity mainly due to it being very hard and causing o environmental degradation to produce. If you still want carpet there are natural material alternatives to the traditional type mentioned above. Wool is the main natural alternative used in eco carpets although be sure to check what it is treated with as quite frequently an eco carpet is treated with a highly toxic chemical to supress moth growth. Wool carpets are naturally fire resistant, insulating,  look fantastic and feel great under your toes.

For the best deals on eco carpets and funiture for the lounge why not use our green product comparison website at Green Shop

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