Home renovation can be a costly investment. When it comes to floor renovations, ‘going green’ is a brilliant idea as more and more people are becoming responsible enough to shift from yesterday’s flooring options to the present-day green alternatives using environment-friendly materials such as bamboo, cork, wool or recycled carpeting, reclaimed wood, and natural linoleum. It is important for designers to encourage the move toward eco friendly design.

Top 5 eco friendly flooring options

• Bamboo
• Cork
• Sustainable Timber
• Linoleum (not synthetic vinyl)
• Wool Carpets

Sample board featuring bamboo and recycled glass flooring created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Bamboo floors are the ‘green’ replacements for hardwood floors. Bamboo, which grows faster than wood, is a highly renewable material and hence, it can be considered as eco-friendly. The material is not only known for its strength, durability, and resistance to moisture and insects, but it also does wonders for the indoor space by bestowing a sophisticated look. Consider substituting vinyl linoleum with 100 percent biodegradable natural linoleum. This green linoleum comprises of renewable materials such as calcium carbonate, pine resin, solidified linseed oil, cork, and wood dust. Natural linoleum floors last for 25 to 40 years and this implies a lower long-term cost for your client.

Sample board featuring Marmoleum (linoleum) created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Regular carpets or synthetic carpets, made up of PVC, polyester, nylon, and synthetic latex, are toxic. Consider introducing wool carpets, seagrass carpets, and carpets made out of plant fibers. You can give a dynamic look to the floor with the recycled wood flooring option. This might also be an essential part of your effort to reduce waste in the flooring industry! Apart from being environment friendly and highly durable, recycled and reclaimed timber will earn you the opportunity to explore multiple design possibilities.

Sample board featuring Cork and Wool carpet created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Cork floors are made up of a renewable resource - the bark of a cork oak tree! Available in a range of colors, from black, red, chocolate, and green to natural honey tones, cork floors will add a sophisticated look to the interior space. The look of cork flooring has come a long way. I remember renting a home with cork floors. I loved the soft feel, easy clean features of the cork floors but disliked the old fashioned square design and color. There are now some really up to date colors and designs available. I have created a sample board featuring a cork floor. If you click on the board you will find details of all the products featured.

Glass bottles certainly do not deserve to be disposed off or used in a use-and-throw way! Rather, they can create a gorgeous flooring option for the modern bathroom and kitchen. Recycled glass tiles are not only beautiful to step on, but they are economical and durable as well. I have again featured examples of recycled glass floors.

Sample board featuring recycled glass & wool carpets created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Looks do matter! Explaining eco-friendly concepts in words is all very well but a picture can speak a thousand words. One of the best way to sell your design ideas is with sample boards. Carrying boards and samples of flooring is not always viable, but carrying a laptop will definitely help! You can use our online, concept board creator www.sampleboard.com to create professional looking boards for client presentations. Just like I have in this blog you can research eco friendly products, upload images of your selections to your library and then create concept boards to express your eco friendly design ideas.