11 Sustainable Living Decorating Trends for Your Home

Tones that evoke autumn feelings are back in style.¹ Start by choosing the earth-toned palette most appealing to you, such as:⁴

• Sage, ivory and clay with light blue and brass accents for a sophisticated palette
• Crimson, cognac and white for a bold palette
• Forest brown and olive with black accents for chic sophistication
• Rust and white with lime accents for a whimsical touch
• Charcoal and chocolate with cream accents for a rustic feel

Once you've chosen your palette, here are some tips for incorporating sustainability into your theme.

If you paint a room in an earth tone, look for nontoxic, biodegradable paint that is environmentally conscious. A good rule of thumb is to find paint with a volatile organic compound (VOC) level of less than 50 grams per liter.³ Or use natural paint made from ingredients like seed oil or plants.

When choosing accent pieces, consider upcycling furniture. For example, you can look for wooden pallets that can be sanded, stained and repurposed into a coffee table or bed frame. Or add legs to vintage suitcases for a table that becomes a conversation piece.⁵ These ideas may even cost less than brand-new furniture and can look more distinctive.

For the kitchen, consider recycled concrete or glass for countertops.Or try smaller touches if you have a tighter budget , like replacing paper napkins with cloth or using glass mason jars instead of plastic.⁶

You can also upcycle pieces by visiting vintage stores, Goodwill, and other similar locations to purchase furniture that others have gotten rid of. These pieces can be reupholstered and repainted, giving them a brand new life.

Another popular choice for an earthy motif is bamboo flooring.⁵ This biodegradable, renewable material is great for the environment because it regrows faster than many other trees. ⁷ As one of the strongest building materials around, it will also last a long time, saving you money on repairs.⁷ Bamboo flooring costs $4 per square foot, on average.⁸

Houseplants can give your home a sustainable, earthy vibe.³ You can choose simple greenery or plants with bold flowers that provide pops of color. If you have pets, just make sure the plants you get are safe for cats or dogs.

Consider shopping locally for furniture and decor that matches your earth tones. By shopping locally, you may find unique pieces that can be real conversation starters. And if you're shopping with a local furniture maker, you might even be able to get pieces customized to perfectly fit within a tight space or unusual angle in your home.

Of course, shopping locally doesn't mean that every piece you get is locally made. Local shops often still purchase from the same places as the big box stores. By shopping locally, however, you can also ensure that you're supporting smaller, local businesses while you're making your renovations.

If you're unsure where to start your local furniture shopping journey, use the Synchrony HOME™ locator to find local retailer partners in a wide variety of categories.

Utilizing energy-efficient technology can help you achieve greater sustainability throughout your home.⁵ LED lights save energy and last longer than traditional bulbs, and you can program them for different colors or shades that match your earthy motif.⁵ LED lights cost about $5 to $7 per bulb, compared to incandescent lights, which cost around $2 to $3 per bulb.⁹ But LED lights last up to 25 times longer and use at least 75% less energy.¹⁰ Smart home thermostats and motion-detection lighting can also lower your electricity use.⁵ And smart showerheads, touchless faucets and low-flow toilets can cut down on your water consumption.⁵ Water-efficient toilets, for example, cost between $200 and $1,000 but can reduce your water bill by $2,200 over the lifetime of the toilet.¹¹

Interior decorating is just the beginning. You can easily extend your sustainable motif to the exterior of your home, too.

1. Repaint your home with an earthy motif

Consider repainting your house with color combinations that evoke an earthy feeling that matches the motif inside your home. Earth tones tend to be more popular when you're selling your home, and can also help a small house look larger.¹² Color combination ideas include:

• A chocolate brown exterior that complements an earthy red tile roof with white accents (such as shutters and trim)
• A fresh coat of green-gray paint with a neutral gray roof and white accents
• A dusky reddish-brown paint for an earthy feeling that contrasts well with blue-green trim and shutters
• Crimson red siding with a black roof and black shutters to evoke a farmhouse feeling that can complement other earthy features

Your landscaping can be more sustainable, too. Use organic mulch in your garden so you can water less in the summer.¹³ Instead of bagging your clippings, let them decompose naturally into the ground for added nutrients. Or install a garden right where rainwater runs off your roof.

In addition to using sustainable landscaping techniques, you can give your home greater curb appeal with some earthy landscaping touches. ¹⁴ Consider planting more trees, adding a water feature (like a fountain or small pond) or adding a firepit in your backyard.¹⁴

Upcycling isn't just for interior furniture. Turn used bricks, stones, glass or concrete into unique-looking sidewalks around your garden to evoke an earthy feeling.¹³ Or invest in composite decking, which uses wood waste and recycled plastic to create a strong deck that lasts longer and warps less than traditional wood decks.¹⁵ Building a composite deck costs an average of $3,600 to $7,700.¹⁶

Adding wooden accents to your home's exterior can also give your space a more rustic, earthy feel. Consider wooden siding, a wooden garage door or wooden columns.¹⁷

Your front door and front porch can also add an earthy vibe. Try for an interesting front door with a rustic personality, and set up a spacious front porch with cozy chairs and lots of plants.¹⁷

metal roof, which is more sustainable than asphalt roof shingles, can also give a rustic vibe if it's painted in a soft, earthy green shade.¹⁸ Look for colors that are more understated, like olive, sage or moss.

When integrating these ideas into your home, consider whether you'll be doing these projects yourself or hiring professionals.¹⁹ The decision comes down to personal choice. What is your experience level for each job you're considering? Some tasks—like painting, installing new lights or adding mulch to your garden—may be easier to do yourself.

Hiring professionals tends to cost more overall. However, you'll also be saving yourself time. In some cases, you may value the cost of your time more than the cost of a contractor.¹⁹

In the end, your choice might also hinge on how you're financing these projects. There are multiple options for paying for decor changes and renovations, from a personal line of credit to a home equity loan. Another option is the Synchrony HOME™ Credit Card.Many Synchrony HOME partner retailers provide special offers for cardholders.

Earth tones are a big trend among modern homeowners. But while you're decorating, consider how you can make the decor even more authentic by adding some sustainable touches. Both exterior and interior sustainability changes may end up saving you money in the long run.

The Synchrony HOME™ Credit Card could help with the cost of adding sustainable renovations to your home. The card may be able to help you pay for furniture and appliances to redecorate your home, as well as unexpected renovation costs. Use our Synchrony HOME locator to find Synchrony HOME partner retailers in your area that may offer special deals for cardholders.*

*Subject to credit approval.