When you design your home, you can help the environment and save yourself money by exploring eco-friendly designs and features.

Kitchen

When designing your kitchen, start by installing eco-friendly appliances. Using something like a convection microwave oven uses significantly less energy than a conventional oven. Replace your old dishwasher with an energy-efficient one and install a motion-sensing faucet that can automatically turn off and save water. Consider replacing your countertops with an eco-friendlier material like recycled glass or quartz countertops St. Louis. Granite countertops tend to be less friendly to the environment due to how granite is sourced and transported. Finish with LED lightbulbs and a dimmer switch to save even more energy.

Bathroom

Install a low-flow toilet in your bathroom to reduce water usage, help the environment, and save yourself money. Most are made with two different flush options, so you don’t use more water than you need. Reduce your water usage even more by replacing your showerhead and faucet with low-flow and motion sensing options that are more environmentally friendly. Use sustainable eco-friendly materials like cork, glass porcelain, or bamboo. Replace all your cleaning products with more natural options that use fewer toxic chemicals. Try using sustainable or zero-waste personal care products like shampoo bars instead of bottled products that produce more waste.

Backyard

Your backyard can also help create an eco-friendlier home for yourself. Start by setting aside an area to install a compost bin. Composting is a great way to turn excess garbage into natural fertilizer you can use for your garden. If your land is on a slope, use terraces to grow small flowers, shrubs, or herb gardens. Terraces help reduce erosion and flooding by allowing rainwater to be more easily soaked into the ground. You can also create a rainwater harvesting system to reduce the amount of water you use inside. This harvested water can be used to water your flowers, plants, and gardens.

There are plenty of ways to reduce your carbon footprint and save yourself money by choosing an eco-friendlier home design.