Bringing in some greenery into your interior décor can be soothing as well as healthy. Currently there is a wide range of options available to decorate interiors in an environmentally friendly manner. This involves using items that are recycled, reclaimed, organic or renewable, materials that use less energy and are more region-specific.

For instance, wooden flooring is much sought after for its aesthetic appeal. A greener option here would be to opt for plantation wood, reclaimed wood, bamboo, even palm and rubber wood. Similarly, in place of vinyl flooring, natural linoleum, recycled rubber floor, even cork floors are excellent options.

Jute carpets, organic cotton rugs, carpet tiles with recycled content, are green options for carpets as compared to their synthetic counterparts.

In any interior, lighting plays a major role. However exotic the décor is, bad lighting can ruin the ambience. While choosing the lighting, just a little attention to detail can enable this to be totally green. Thus, instead of lighting up the entire room, task lighting for specific areas can be done. The bulbs used can be of the energy saving variety. It is a good idea to go in for lighter shades for walls as this makes the room appear roomier and brighter, necessitating less artificial lighting.

While the mindset is to go in for furniture that is easy to discard once not in vogue, this is certainly not a green option. Plantation wood and reclaimed wood are excellent options for furniture. It is amazing the kind of exotic décor that repaired and redesigned old furniture can create. It is the same with antiques that have been discarded. However, antiques being over 100 years old may prove to be expensive. Reclaimed wood is a better option, as this is only over 50 years old.

Artifacts used for display can again be of the recycled variety, like items made from paper as on paper mache products. Recycled paper can be used to create an amazing variety of artifacts ranging from wall hangings, exotic sculptures, bowls, vases to name a few.

Broken tiles can be used to create unique tabletops, planter boxes. Old silverware is an exotic display item and so are old plates that feature unique designs and shapes. Cutting out the worn out parts and converting the rest into attractive doormats and foot rugs can salvage even old carpets.

The fabrics used for upholstery and bed can be made eco-friendly by opting for organic cotton and linen. Similarly, using bamboo products is an excellent green option as bamboo grows to maturity within a short period. Bamboo is also attractive and can feature amongst artifacts as bowls, vases and plates.

Plants are an excellent green option as they are not only the best way to go eco friendly, but also prove to be the best candidate to create a refreshing, stress relieving aura.

  A most important aspect that needs to be considered while decorating is the regional source of the raw material as well as the finished product used in the interior. A material sourced from long distance has inherent costs to environment in terms of distance traveled.

  Again, the process of manufacture needs to be ascertained to ensure the product used is green. For instance, textiles tend to use a lot of bleach and colours and these may not be echo friendly.