Breathe Easy: How to Fragrance Your Home Without Chemicals
Smell is important. As any aromatherapist will tell you, what we smell can have a major impact on what we feel. Humans have always used a variety of methods to create welcoming, pleasing aromas, but with the rise of shop-bought, mass-produced air fresheners has come the loss of many traditional room-scenting techniques. Today we'll be taking a look at some traditional fragrancing techniques and discovering ways of creating the perfect atmosphere without relying on industrial chemicals. Before you add your own scents to the air, [...]
Move House the Green Way
Moving house is often described as one of the most stressful experiences a human can endure, but what about the impact on the planet? All those miles of tape and acres of cardboard and bubble wrap contribute to the global waste problem, and even if conventionally recycled, create further demand for these wasteful products. So what can you do to move house without hurting the environment? Today we'll take a look at some alternatives to conventional packing and moving, and find out whether all that [...]
Nature’s Way: 3 Interior Design Lessons From the Natural World
Humanity is nothing if not ingenious. From cars to skyscrapers, music to philosophy, the statue of David to Spaghetti junction, human creations have come to define the world. But, with our creations now threatening the planet, our creative efforts are slowly shifting focus away from dominating our environment and towards a harmonious relationship with nature. Nowhere is this shift felt more than in the world of interior design, where natural forms, structures and materials are at the centre of our efforts to strike a balance [...]
How to get rid of black mould on walls with natural products?
How to get rid of mould on walls with natural products, yes it’s possible to be chlorine free! It’s that time of year when it seems to have been raining non stop for weeks, everything is getting soggy and damp outside, and our walls have been permanently soaked through for ages. If we’re not careful we can see black mould spores starting to appear on our internal walls, (or even the white mould spores on walls) in areas that are hard to get to, such in [...]
Green Screens: How To Make Sure Your Computer Doesn’t Pollute
Computers are miraculous things. Where once they were only seen in laboratories and libraries, now they are in our pockets, our cars, and even our fridges. But all this proliferation has also resulted in a whole lot of pollution, from the side effects of manufacture to the problems caused by disposal of obsolete technology. Over the last few years, the green computing movement has really taken root. Computer manufacturers all over the world are competing to discover new, greener ways to manufacture, use and [...]
Zero Waste Tips For Everyone – How do you compare?
The zero-waste movement is picking up momentum, with more and more households aiming at eliminating their rubbish output entirely. Zero Waste Home and The Zero Garbage Challenge are among many global efforts to achieve a human lifestyle that is in harmony with the planet. But what if you're not ready to go the whole hog, or the demands of the zero-waste lifestyle just aren't practical? What are the easiest and most effective ways to cut down on waste? Today we'll be looking at three key [...]
Where can I buy vegan paint? You asked, we now supply Vegan Wall Paint & Vegan Wood Paint!
We have had a great selection of Vegan friendly paint on our site for a number of years now, but I’ve finally created a dedicated section devoted to Vegan Paints. Having had quite a few recent enquiries asking about them, I realised it wasn’t quite as easy to find them as I hoped, so right now I’m going through all the paints we stock and adding the vegan logo to them (work in progress!) Most of the time, people are just looking for a great [...]
What’s Driving the Sustainable Interior Design Movement?
Sustainable interior design has come a long way. From being exclusively the preserve of the counter-culture it has become part of the mainstream, with sustainable practices benefiting from an extra dash of zeitgeist-grabbing cool.But despite the cultural success of the ecological movement, the old ways still persist. Many materials are sourced from unregulated sources which threaten local ecosystems, and many decorating products rely heavily on noxious chemicals which remain in the environment. As well as natural organic paint, there are a whole host of more ecologically [...]
Reasons to be Cheerful: 3 Green Tech Breakthroughs That Could Change the Future
Following the discovery of man made climate change, and the revelation of the many ways humanity has altered the earth's environment, it's easy to feel hopeless. But, flying against this gloomy current, a breath of fresh air has blown through the global technology industry, leading to the development of some potentially future-saving new innovations. Today we'll be looking at three projects which could help win the war on climate change, and ensure a brighter future for the planet. 1: Molten Salt Storage It may sound [...]
The Indoor Farmer: Foods You Can Grow Without A Garden
Growing your own food is a key part of living an ecologically sustainable lifestyle, and Britain's allotment societies have never been busier. But if you don't have a garden or access to an allotment, is there anything you can do? Ever since The Good Life gave a generation the self-sufficiency bug, growing your own food has been a key part of the green lifestyle. Producing your own fruit and veg dramatically cuts down on your personal carbon footprint by eliminating the environmental costs of shipping [...]
Surprisingly Sustainable: Three New Materials You’d Never Guess Were Green
After centuries of using the earth's resources as if they were infinite, we are now as a species facing a difficult problem. How do we maintain our technologically-advanced lifestyles without draining the world of its resources? Over the last few years, some surprising new materials have emerged from the lab, and may point to a way for us to spare the earth without giving up our smartphones. Today we're looking at some of the most exciting developments in the field of sustainable materials, and singling [...]
Green Futures: Eco Friendly Architecture Grows Up
Modern buildings have a bad reputation, and it's easy to see why. From the brutalist concrete shells of the 1960s to the materialist excess of the 1980s, right up to the wave of cheap, featureless housing of the 1990s, humanity seemed to be at odds with the organic environment, and the idea of ecological sensitivity was nowhere to be found. Now, thanks to the generation of architects who have grown up in the midst of the green revolution, modern buildings are embracing a more harmonious approach, [...]
Straw Bales: The Bricks of the Future?
When most of us hear the idea of a house made of straw, the first thing that comes to mind is the tale of the Three Little Pigs. But with straw now being recognised as the low carbon, low impact building material, it looks like it might take more than a huff and a puff to knock down this innovation in eco-friendly home design. The primary reason that straw bales are attracting the attention of today's environmentally-conscious architects is that they are made from plant matter. [...]
The Green Clean: Cleaning Products and Your Eco-Friendly Home
Running an environmentally conscious home means considering every aspect of your lifestyle. From energy usage to food waste, there are myriad ways to cut your family's energy footprint and soften your impact on the environment, and today we're focusing on one often overlooked aspect of the home: your choice of cleaning products. We have a great range of natural & eco friendly house cleaning solutions - click here to view our range. Most mainstream cleaning products are made without much regard for environmental safety. Bleaches, [...]
Creating a Low Carbon Home | So what can you do to contribute to the global effort?
With the world's largest countries continuing to rely on burning hydrocarbon fuels, cutting carbon emissions has never been more important. So what can you do to contribute to the global effort? Today we're looking at ways to shrink your footprint and create a low carbon home, giving you the power to make a real difference. Following news last year that the UK government has scrapped targets which would ensure that all new homes in Britain are carbon-neutral, it's never been more important for the rest [...]
Guide: How To Choose Sustainable Woods for the Home
Choosing Sustainable Woods for the Home Why is Deforestation an Issue? Forests are useful to life on earth, including humans, in a number of ways. Perhaps the most important of these is in the way in which they absorb carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis, producing oxygen as a natural waste product. What is a waste product to the trees is a source of life for us and the millions of other species that occupy the planet with us. As well as acting as the [...]
Traditional Handmade vs Mass Produced: An Honest Summary
The great philosopher Immanuel Kant once said that “the hand is the window onto the mind”, when praising the uniqueness of human craftsmanship. The ability to fashion beautiful objects by hand, whether they be utilitarian, religious or aesthetic in their nature, has long differentiated us from all other animals on earth. Since the industrial revolution though, there has been a divergence from handmade craftsmanship towards mass production, separating the roles of designer and craftsman. This trend is a mark of our modern technological world, from [...]
What are Kitchen Work Triangles?
What do triangles and kitchens have in common? This might seem like a somewhat obscure question but it actually underlies the basis of kitchen design and ergonomics. Despite how much quality granite or marble you use to bring beauty and style to your kitchen, it still remains one of the most functional and used rooms in the house. For this reason it’s imperative that their design incorporates the busy, hectic and often disorganised places that they often become when food is being prepared by [...]
Simple ways to make your home more efficient and save money each year
Do you want to save money and energy? Are you concerned about environmental protection and the efficient energy management of your home? If you are thinking how to provide comfort to your family while saving you money, there are some simple steps you can take to make your home more efficient and lower your energy bills. According to data, space heating (45%) and cooling (9%) combined with water heating (18%) account for 72% of residential energy consumption. So you have to consider how much [...]
10 reasons why you should switch to natural paints and why should you care?
They do not contain chlorinated hydrocarbons or other toxic non-degradable substances. They don’t release hazardous artificial solvents or formaldehyde They do not release harmful gases after drying. Direct contact with organisms is harmless. They have a positive effect on the atmospheric conditions of the area. They maintain the ideal natural moisture balance in your home. They are manufactured only from renewable raw materials. They don’t pollute the environment both during their production and their use. Their residues during the production and use can be composted [...]
What is a straw bale building? Basic guide to building straw houses in the UK
What is a straw bale construction? If you are looking for alternative, energy efficient ways to build your home that may also be cheaper than traditional housing, a straw bale construction is the answer. Most straw goes to waste as it is no longer used in traditional livestock breeding. It is plowed back into the fields or even burnt. However, people can take advantage of its natural qualities and use it to build highly insulated and highly fire proof buildings. Straw bale hasn’t gone under [...]
Customer Profiles: Jon Fitzgerald & His Sugar Glider Enclosure. Build to Finish
The Custom Made Sugar Glider Enclosure I have kept sugar gliders for almost a year and gradually increased my small colony from two to four gliders. The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small, omnivorous arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass. The common name refers to its preference for sugary nectarous foods and ability to glide through the air. The scientific name, Petaurus breviceps, translates from Latin as "short-headed rope-dancer", a reference to their canopy acrobatics.Update: "The shelves are definitely taking some [...]
Basic principles & goals of bioclimatic design for the eco & sustainable home
Basic principles and goals of bioclimatic design The terms “green building” or “bioclimatic design” refer to the design of buildings and facilities based on local climate, aimed at providing thermal and visual comfort with minimal consumption of conventional energy while utilising other sources of renewable energy. Bioclimatic design is very important and its correct application benefits both humans and the environment. Especially nowadays, the maintenance cost of a building is a big part of the family expenses so a significantly any reduced energy costs [...]
Green infrastructure – Using a Green Roof for economic benefits, savings and wellbeing.
A beneficial way of helping our cities to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change is utilising green space. Green roofs are and will be an increasingly important technology. The ecosystems services that are provided by green roofs will be especially significant in regard to a reduction in the Urban Heat Island Effect (our summers are predicted to get much hotter).They will also help to decrease the impact of flash summer storms that are predicted to increase as the climate changes. In this article [...]
Innovative and Effective Green Solutions in Revamping Your Home
We’re already almost a month into the new year, so how about adding a touch of green and making some eco friendly changes inside your home to kickstart the New Year? Imagine yourself living another 365 days living in a newly revamped house whilst becoming a bit more efficient, energy conscious and more eco friendly. Much better.Living a sustainable lifestyle is no longer “just a fad” these days. People from all walks of life - young and old, men and women, homeowners and apartment renters, they [...]