The Eco-Friendly home

How to be eco-friendly

Most of us now accept that we are facing climate change and global warming.  We can have the cynical approach of not doing anything about it because, whatever we do, China and India will nullify its effect – or we can each do our little bit and hope that these bits add to an overall impact.  For this, the best place to start is in our homes..

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Traditional Rugs

Some people call rugs Traditional that are made by hand rather than by machine. These are the Persian and Oriental rugs made mainly in China, India, the Middle East and North Africa. For me a traditional rug refers to its style, as it tends to follow traditional designs and patterns..

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Modern Rugs have come a long way. There was a time when most area rugs were either traditional looking (Persian or oriental) or ethnic (Mexican, Mediterranean etc) – and it was almost impossible to get a contemporary rug for a modern space. Then, the 60′s & 70′s changed everything – we had the shag rug, the oval braided rug and those large prints of flowers, geometrical shapes and animal prints! Rugs went wild!

The choice is now endless when it comes to finding a rug to complement the modern interior – in fact it can be almost daunting. So clear your mind – and get your approach right. Either choose a rug to complement your room – or choose the furnishing, color-scheme etc based on the details of your chosen rug.

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There are thousands of area rugs to choose from – in fact, there are too many. So which one should you get?

If you’re buying online, you should only go for cheap rugs -  anything that costs several hundred dollars  you really need to see and feel for yourself. I, personally, don’t think it’s worth spending a fortune on rugs – only for a particularly special or formal kind of room.

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Area rugs

As I discussed in my previous article, carpet flooring is not the most sensible solution for areas of heavy traffic; where food & drink is consumed; or where children play.

It’s much more sensible to have wooden floors or laminates, and spice these up with an area rug. There are thousand rugs to choose from – some are cheap and cheerful (ideal for kids and teens!), some are durable and affordable ( ideal for living rooms and bedrooms), some are expensive & glamorous ( ideal for formal rooms).  Of course you can also get trendy or timeless rugs, depending on what sort of style you’re after..

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Having chosen your containers, place them around your garden or terrace, patio or balcony and group them together. When you’re happy with the arrangement, draw a rough sketch of your design and spend a day or so observing the movement of the sun. I know this might sound silly and obvious, but sunlight is an important element for plants, so there is no point of putting a fern into a container that is exposed to full sunshine… Then go to your garden centre or order your plants online ( don’t forget your sketches and observations!).  You can order your plants online from Garden centers & nurseries.

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Container Gardening

Container Gardening is liberating and constricting at the same time – it’s liberating because you’re not restricted by the soil condition of your garden; constricting because it needs more care and attention.Containers are ideal to use on balconies, in small gardens, on patios and around the edges of flowerbeds.  But don’t just go wild and buy containers on impulse in your garden center – container gardening needs planning..

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Herb Gardening

It’s summer…it’s hot… it’s time for salads and fresh herbs.
Fresh herbs can be expensive in the supermarkets so why don’t you grow your own?
Herb gardening can be achieved in most gardens – you can grow herbs on the smallest windowsill, on a balcony, in containers or, if space allows, create a herb-garden section in your garden..

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How to install a carpet

Installing carpets is a job that generally can be done by a competent DIYer – it doesn’t require specialist carpet layers, only a few good carpet tools..

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When you choose a carpet, practicality must be your main concern. Consider the area in which you want to lay the carpet. Is it used daily? Is it used with your shoes on? Is it used where food & drink is consumed? Is it used by your kids?

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