Think interior design and we conjure up images of cushions lamps and all things decorative.As important as these decorative items are in making a space feel more comfortable.When it come to sustainable green interior design, I'm afraid its going to take much more than a few green cushions and throws to give your home sustainability status.Like sustainable green architecture, green interior design is also about minimising the negative environmental impact of buildings interior composition by enhancing efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space.

Before I reveal how to apply sustainable green interior design in your home, lets look at a few basics.Think of your home as a you would a the anatomy of the human body.Like the body, your home also has a skeletal structure, but in order to provide effective shelter for in Its internal contents it requires adequate insulation and protection from external elements.The interior composition of your home is therefore made up of the following components;

1. INTERNAL STRUCTURE & FINISHES [The interior skin and bone]

• Roof insulation material
• Window size and glazing type
  
• Ceiling finish
• Thermal insulation under wall finish
• Wall finish
• Floor structure and finish

2. INTERIOR FURNSIHINGS [Function like the organs in the body as mechanisms which regulate temperature of the space]

• Lighting
  
• Heating and cooling/HVAC

and as you would supplement the body with clothes to maintain warmth of the body, similarly the furniture and appliances in your home function in a similar manner making your home more comfortable.

• Curtains,blinds
• Appliances
• Other Accessories

For many of us our homes are not just our castles, it is the heart of family life, its the place where most of our precious memories are made.

It is also the place we spend most of our time.Part of the principles of sustainable green interior design is to promote a better life within your built environment, taking the following factors into consideration;

• ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
• ECONOMIC SUTAINABILITY
• SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable green interior design is pretty- useful i.e it looks good and is functional.Essentially it is about designing your interior space relative to principles governing sustainable design;the micro climate of the building, for example using the the position of the sun. [see sun path diagram on left] to help determine optimum lighting requirements needed in your interior spaces.

These principles are in place to create safer built environments for us to live in while minimise our impact on the environment thorough the choices we make in our building projects such as our choice of building and furniture materials and how these items responds to it's site and micro climate.

When making a home more energy efficient, it is important to eliminate air leaks in the home. Having an air tight home, it is important that you keep the toxins and pollution sources out of your home. Toxins include organic chemicals, formaldehyde, lead, radon, carbon monoxide, etc. The best way to avoid indoor contamination is to keep products out of your home that contain these materials. Choose household cleaning products, furnishings, paints, and flooring that are made with natural or non-toxic materials.

Try to remove building supplies made with formaldehyde, furniture made from synthetic materials, gas appliances, heaters, office supplies with volatile ingredients, plastics, pesticides, scented beauty and hygiene products, synthetic cleaning products, and synthetic fabrics and fibers.

Having a home with air leaks will not flush out any pollutants unless air is pushed hard. The best option is to have a home that is well ventilated and that you can control. Use air-to-air heat exchangers to flush out stale air and recover the proper temperature.

A building which is well insulated and sufficiently air tight to be energy efficient will generally need some kind of ventilation system to provide fresh air and control moisture. Some ventilation can be achieved by opening windows and doors, especially with the addition of passive solar ventilation, whole house fans like this Cirque Ceiling Fan which is both functional and aesthetically appealing.

As explained in Sustainable Green Architecture passive solar design refers to the use of the sun's energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces. Unlike active solar heating systems, passive systems are simple and do not involve substantial use of mechanical and electrical devices, such as pumps, fans, or electrical controls to move the solar energy which saves energy and money.Here's how the orientation of your building can affect your interior elements;

Reducing the amount of fuel you use for heating can often be achieved by insulating your home. Good insulation will keep the heat in the building and drafts and cold out. A lot of heat escapes through doors, windows, walls and the roof of a house. There are a number of cheap and easy measures that can make your home dryer and warmer. For example, if your home has wooden floors, you can fill gaps in floorboards and skirting with newspaper, beading or sealant, and you can eliminate draughts and wasted heat by fixing a brush or seal to your outer doors.

Even interior finishes like color choices can be determined by the position of the sun.Here's an example how color and lighting are determined by sun paths;

• The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so if you happen to have your bedroom facing east then you are more likely to wake up to a sunrise every morning, but this also means that you will also have much more day light in this space during the early hours of the day.Morning light is not too hot or harsh in color. Rooms with east-facing windows or skylights rarely need supplemental lighting until evening activities begin.
• Interior spaces requiring the most light and heating and cooling should be along the south face of the building, and less used spaces on the north.[This applies to building in the Northern Hemisphere only]Rooms with banks of south-facing windows are blessed with abundant natural light in all seasons. These rooms have an abundant natural glow that flatters every decorating style.
• Rooms that receive strong afternoon sunlight should have protective window coverings. Rooms with afternoon exposure, west-facing or south-west facing windows get the most intense sunlight and there is potential for damage to furniture, rugs and artwork. Consider the warmth of the sunlight entering the room in the afternoon. Extremely warm tones, like strong reds, oranges and yellows, may intensify the room's decor so in these rooms opt for cooler colours.
• North-facing rooms that receive little or no direct sunlight will tend to feel cool. Warm tones will help warm them.White is the best reflector of natural light in a room but bold colors can enhance the vibrant quality of daylight.

• Window location and glazing type are very important aspects of a passive solar design.
• Insulation and air sealing help to retain the heat gained (or lost) through passive solar heating (or cooling).

• Double-glazing stops heat escaping and can reduce condensation on your windows. A lot of heat is lost through windows, so double glazing can be an effective way to make savings on fuel bills in the long term. It can also reduce outside noise considerably

• Conventional paint contains a multitude of harmful chemicals that off-gas into the air, negatively affecting the health of people and the planet. These paints release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are a class of carbon-based chemicals that have the capacity to evaporate readily at room temperature. Fortunately, you can easily avoid generating pollution and unsafe living spaces and still have beautiful walls of any color by using low-VOC, zero-VOC, recycled, or natural paints.

• Start by replacing your light bulbs to flourescent light bulbs which use much less energy than candescent ones.
  
• Maximize opportunities for daylighting. Amount and quality of light should be matched to the function of a space. Task lights should be installed where needed, and ambient light reduced elsewhere.
• Install occupancy sensors that automatically turn lights on and off as needed.
• Sections of lighting for different areas or different functions should be on separate controls, to allow the users of a space to decide how much light is needed.
• Paint interior walls and ceilings a light color to reduce the overall need for artificial lighting in the day.

• Carpet is the most common floor covering in homes today due to low cost, comfort, and availability of multiple colors and patterns. Carpet is made from woven materials, often petroleum-based fibers like nylon or olefin, attached to a synthetic backing with an adhesive. Each of these components has associated environmental implications from resource conservation and indoor air quality. "Green" carpet includes natural fibers such as wool, jute, sisal, sea grass, coir or recycled PET (polyester) plastic. Green Label and Green Label Plus certification on selected carpet products ensure that customers are purchasing among the lowest emitting carpet, adhesive, and cushion products on the market.

  
  

• Alternatives to carpet and timber floors is Bamboo , which is just as aesthetically attractive as timber but, is a rapidly renewable resource that can be used to produce a very durable hard surface for flooring. Products can be constructed with solid bamboo of one or more plies or with a single layer of bamboo that is cross-laminated on top of wood. It is a natural, renewable product that can be used anywhere a resilient floor is needed. Cork is another new renewable resource which generally comes in tiles, planks, or sheets of various sizes, is extremely durable, provides acoustical and thermal insulation, cushions underfoot, is resistant to moisture damage and decay, and is easy to clean and maintain.

• The third alternative to carpets is Natural linoleum, which is a durable resilient flooring product made from linseed oil (pressed from the flax plant), pine resin, wood flour, cork powder, limestone dust, natural pigments, and jute. Natural linoleum can be used anywhere a resilient floor is needed, as well as for counter top and desktop applications. Natural linoleum is available in tiles and sheets. If you still prefer carpet to other flooring options than be sure to watch out for the

When replacing your current home appliances consider opting for ENERGY STAR-rated appliances which use three-fourths less energy than traditional models while distributing light more efficiently and evenly.