Eco-Friendly Home Decor Tips for Allergy Sufferers

*Eco-friendly kitchen made by* *Joshua Howard Joinery*

Last year, I went to do a consultation for a client in Leeds. He’d recently moved into his 1920s three bed semi, thinking that it just needed a quick refresh. He's a severe allergy sufferer and soon came to realise that his house renovation was a much bigger project than he'd first thought. Hidden condensation and mould issues, which would have been minor problems if it hadn't been for his allergies, were starting to make him ill. He even had to wear a mask in most rooms of his home.

After getting a survey done by a damp specialist, he identified the areas that needed sorting and asked me to help him design each of the rooms in priority order, choosing suitable products for his health issues.

As well as helping allergy symptoms, making sustainable choices as part of a greener lifestyle really helps to reduce carbon footprints and create healthier homes. The research I did for this project, and the things I learned from the client (he’s a bit of an expert in this area!) taught me so much about eco-friendly home products and sustainable living.

General considerations

Low VOC products

*Image credit:* *Benjamin Moore* *Blue Nova 825 Antique Pewter 1560 - Benjamin Moore offer a wide range of low VOC paint products*

Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, are a group of organic chemicals that easily become vapours or gases at room temperature. They're found in many products and they can have a significant impact on indoor air quality and health. Not only is the client allergic to dust and mould but he's also badly affected by these chemicals. We had to make sure that everything, from paint and furniture to glues and varnish, was made from low VOC, non toxic materials.

Improved airflow

As well as carefully considering the material of the chosen products, the damp specialist also recommended good ventilation throughout the house, including behind kitchen units and in the sub-floor space. We removed built in furniture such as alcove wardrobes and replaced them with freestanding pieces on legs to ensure better ventilation and easier access for cleaning.

Another recommendation was to position radiators under windows wherever possible to improve airflow and cold spots, as the windows' trickle vents needed to be open all the time.

Paint

Many paints, especially oil based paints, contain high levels of VOCs so look for low VOC and VOC free options. There are a lot of eco-friendly paint brands around but these are my favourite low VOC ones that have good coverage. We used these ranges throughout the house.

Benjamin Moore - Aura Matte and Aura Eggshell

Little Greene - Absolute/Intelligent Matt Emulsion and Intelligent Eggshell

Kitchen

The kitchen is usually the most expensive room to renovate and it's also the one where the client spends the most time so it was really important that we got it right. There aren't many low VOC kitchen options available so finding something suitable was quite tricky. We finally narrowed it down to three options, which were all roughly the same price as each other:

Wood and Wood kitchens (who were really helpful) - classic style kitchens made from low VOC and low formaldehyde materials
the Puustelli Miinus range - ecological kitchens made in Finland that are responsibly and non-toxically made from re-usable and recyclable materials
a bespoke kitchen customised to our exact requirements by Leeds based Joshua Howard Joinery. I had worked with Josh on a previous project - he’s really passionate about his work and makes bespoke kitchens in lots of different styles.

We eventually decided on a bespoke kitchen because of the flexibility and convenience of working with a local artisan. Josh did a lot of research into the best low VOC materials and the client was able to test them first to see if they affected his allergies. The kitchen was eventually made from pine lamboard, birch plywood and Douglas Fir, and we made sure that the water-based lacquer was low VOC.

*A first image of the lovely new kitchen, courtesy of* *Joshua Howard Joinery*!

Furniture and furnishings

All fabric, furniture and decor items were made from eco-friendly materials and free from harmful chemicals.

Furniture

Natural, untreated wood - A lot of wooden furniture is finished with varnishes that are high in VOCs so we looked for untreated wood products.

Vintage wood furniture - As long as it hasn’t been refinished recently, vintage furniture is generally considered to be low VOC. The off-gassing period happens when the furniture is new (within the first few months to years) so the VOCs in decades-old furniture have already dissipated.

Metal - Metal furniture is generally considered to be an eco-friendly option, as long as any finishes are low VOC.

*Bedroom visuals with untreated and vintage wood furniture on legs*

Fabrics

We avoided synthetic materials and opted for bedding, soft-furnishings and window treatments made from natural materials like washable cotton, wool and linen.

For the living spaces, we sourced leather rather than fabric seating because it has a lower allergen level and it’s easier to clean.

*Open plan sitting area visual with leather seating and natural rug*

Accessories and wall decor

*Image credit:* *Ruma* *- Tua brown rattan oval handle basket*

Sustainable home decor options for finishing touches include items made from rattan, bamboo, glass and ceramics.

*Image credit:* *Soto Gardens* *snake plant*

Plants are great for bringing the outside in and creating a greener home. Although certain types can improve indoor air quality, be careful which ones you choose because some can cause issues for pollen and mould allergies. Good options include peace lillies and snake plants but stay away from ferns and ivy.

Flooring

Hard flooring is the best choice for allergy sufferers because it's easy to keep clean and dust-free.

We chose porcelain tiles for the bathroom, kitchen and dining area.

*Image credit:* *Mandarin Stone's Jagger porcelain tile which we used for the bathroom flooring*

For all other rooms, the client worked with the very helpful people at Beyond Flooring who sourced an oak engineered wood made with a phenol formaldehyde based glue, which off-gases much less than the standard urea formaldehyde alternative. They primed the flooring in Bona Classic UX primer and finished it with Bona Traffic HD Raw, both of which are ultra low VOC.

Some LVT and laminates are also low VOC but just be careful that the glues and finishes are too.

Best eco-friendly home decor brands

West Elm - great supplier of sustainable home goods, selling fair trade furniture and home decor
Tikamoon - we sourced a lot of sustainable furniture from here and they have a great selection of untreated wood pieces and eco-friendly products
Piglet in Bed - a great range of ethical bedding
Little Greene & Benjamin Moore - a great selection of low VOC paint

*Image credit:* *Piglet in Bed* *white bed linen set*

The client has been very busy project managing this renovation and I can’t wait to share it with you when it’s finished! Sometimes you come across a project that makes you realise just what a massive difference good interior design can make and this was definitely one of them - the eco-friendly choices we've made have had such a positive impact on the client’s life.

I hope you’ve found this post useful if you suffer from allergies or are hoping to make more eco-friendly lifestyle choices - let me know in the comments!