‘Get the Look’ – 15 Sustainable Bath Ideas for your New Year’s Home
Entry #2039, January 23, 2012
I have been very fortunate to be blessed with many “contributors” and resources behind the scenes at Stagetecture. One of them is my great Interior Design intern – Rachel Morgan here in Jacksonville, Florida. Rachel has helped me on numerous projects and she loves decor and helping homeowners with design dilemmas! Rachel continues her feature on Stagetecture called “Get the Look”. Where she has taken a theme and created a Olioboard design to help you get the look at your home.
If you missed the January Oliohop on Monday along with me and 9 other blogger’s – see how we used Olioboard to show Home Staging – Before & After!
As many people know it can sometimes be a little difficult to keep up with those pesky resolutions. Well choosing one that involves your everyday life as well as your families would be a great start. Doing something that both benefits your life as well as the life of others is a great way to spend your year. I’m talking about a sustainable new you. Here are some great cost effective ideas to help you be more sustainable this year.
Sustainable Bath Ideas for your New Year’s Home
- Make compost, or if you don’t want to build your own compost heap, give your organic waste to friends. They’re not difficult to find and for some it might be easier to make.
- Xeriscaping with drought-tolerant native species in your yard. Plant shade trees and vines to keep cool in the summer. Plant deciduous shade trees to cut summer cooling bills. Put them on the west and east sides of the house to let light in during the winter. You can easily find this information via internet but you can also go to your local nursery or hardware store.
- Reuse paper bags. There are a variety of reusable bags out there. You can find them in your favorite grocery store.
- Separate recyclables, and recycle ‘em. Honestly how many times have you thrown recyclables in the trash because the recycle bin was full? Recycle bins come in all sizes now.
- Install a solar water heater; they’re often cost-effective even in cloudy areas.
- Install low-flow showerheads. With less water to heat, you’ll save water and energy
- Use compact fluorescents, which screw into ordinary incandescent light-bulb sockets but use far less electricity. There are different sizes, shapes, and colors to choose from.
- Buy efficient appliances with smarter designs, like front-loading washers (they use half the water and detergent of top-loading washers). Check efficiency ratings you could save up to 13 percent of your household energy use.
- Use non-toxic cleaners. Borax, vinegar, baking soda, salt, and lemon juice are a few of the many natural alternatives.
- Install faucet aerators. They work like low-flow shower heads; most have an on/off control to let you cut off the water while soaping up.
- Caulk and weather-strip, and insulate walls and ceilings. This is an easy DIY project.
- Fix leaky pipes. Even small ones can waste thousands of gallons of water a year, and most can be easily repaired by replacing worn parts. It saves you a ton of money in the long run.
- Install low-flush toilets and drop from six gallons per flush to one and a half. It saves money as well as water.
- Talk with your neighbors. If you find you don’t have time, cancel a trip to the shopping mall or put the TV in the basement. You’d be amazed how a walk to the park or some simple gardening can save you money. The less time you spend inside the better.
- Research is golden. There are many other ways to be sustainable. You just have to want to do it. What better way than to make it a resolution this year.
For more green living tips on Stagetecture, click here.
