Growing up in Panama instilled in me a lifelong appreciation for the ocean. The vibrant ecosystem on the sand and in the water amazed me as a kid and continues to inspire me as an adult. Today, Panama’s beaches face significant plastic pollution. It’s devastating to see trash and debris damaging the beaches I love. Artists and designers in Panama have turned the trash into something beautiful, like these light fixtures (pictured below) I found at Tantalo Hotel.
That’s why I’m excited to celebrate Earth Day, a time when we recognize and demonstrate our commitment to caring for our planet—or “Mama Earth” as my daughter calls it. As an interior designer, I have the privilege of coming into people’s homes, transforming their spaces, and ushering them into a new chapter. In this role, I also have the privilege of sourcing items, reusing furniture, and choosing materials that are kinder to our planet.
This Earth Month, I wanted to share some of the ways that we promote environmentally friendly design practices and products at One of a Kind Interior Design.
Reduce
Whenever I’m wrapping up a project, I like to add touches that make the space feel like one my client can call home. For a kitchen or playroom, I like to leave reusable paper towels for my clients to try. These towels, sometimes called Swedish cloths, provide clients with an alternative to paper towels. It takes incremental habit changes to live a more planet-conscious life. Providing clients with alternatives to wasteful, household items encourages those choices to become a change.
Reuse
In the interior design industry, it is common for unused or unwanted items to be thrown out and swapped for something new. I believe that the items in my client’s home have value. If they weren’t valuable, they wouldn’t have made it onto their mantels or into their living rooms. Instead of wasting clients’ unwanted items, I invite them to consider the ways we can reuse and repurpose them. Remember that old chair you bought when you moved into your first apartment? Give it a new life by restuffing and reupholstering the cushions! How about those throw pillows that look like they’re ready to be thrown out? Get a new pillow cover, and they’ll look as good as new.
If an item can’t be repurposed but it’s still in good shape, we resell or donate it with our clients permission. For items that can’t be donated, we give them to All Out Smash to be reused in a local smash room.
Bee green
The finishing touches I incorporate are good for our clients and their pollinator friends. Protecting pollinators is a great way to keep our ecosystem strong and environment healthy. I leave many of my clients with a bee pollinator mix that they can use to grow pollinator friendly plants in their gardens. Beyond supporting the bees, I like to support my local beekeeper by giving clients honey from The Purple House Honey. This adds a sweet touch to every interior design project.
Celebrate this Earth Day by taking the time to look around your home to see how you can incorporate more green into your daily life. It doesn’t take a complete overhaul to be kinder to our planet. Small steps can make a big impact! Take the first step by scheduling a consultation with us to see how we can make your home better for the planet today.
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