Ease your conscience but keep your style

6:59am Saturday 28th June 2008

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SUDDENLY it’s cool to care about the planet, and to worry that wasting our natural resources could trash the environment.

But that concern shouldn'’ be limited to the tropical rain forests and polar bears, because our homes should be eco-friendly too, according to the ‘greenies’.

That’s fine, but you still want your home to look great. No one wants to sacrifice style and fill rooms with grungy, dull objects simply made from reprocessed cardboard or car tyres just so they can claim to have done their bit for the Earth.

It is possible to find great green design but discovering what’s hot and what's not for eco homes – and not paying a fortune for it – can be difficult. So expert help is needed.

Judith Wilson, stylist and interiors writer isn’t just an expert on natural living, she's also following a green agenda in renovating her own home.

She understands that style gurus want eco chic but acknowledges: “For the design-conscious individual, there’s still the worry that going natural means compromising on style and choice.

“Thankfully, it doesn’t. High street stores and specialist suppliers are falling over themselves to provide natural products, ranging from organic textiles to eco paints and from energy-efficient lightbulbs to low-flow showerheads, while contemporary designers are increasingly using recycled materials to dramatic effect.”

She’s put all her wisdom, top tips, practical strategies and detailed advice for creating an eco-friendly living space into a new book, The Natural Home (Jacqui Small, £12.99).

She says it’s perfectly possible to save energy without compromising good looks, use old furniture in imaginative ways rather than buying new and source recycled materials and still have a stylish home.

“Going the natural route is no longer for the minority,” she says. “Today it makes ethical as well as beautiful and healthy good sense.”

Turning green, it seems, has never been easier or smarter – and where better to soothe your conscience than in your own eco sanctuary! Judith says: “The focus of a natural home is beautiful, natural materials, but it’s also crucial to remove, or to avoid adding, harmful substances.”

Take time to research the materials you plan to use and choose eco-friendly versions of common building materials and paints. Companies such as earthBorn, The Little Greene Paint Company and Francesca's Paints offer natural paints without harmful chemicals.

Judith believes the best hunting grounds for anything from a recycled bath to an entire salvaged floor or from old radiators to second-hand bricks are nearby demolition sites and salvage yards. Or find a reclamation dealer who will source for you.

Wood and stone are two obvious choices for a natural home, but don’t forget fabrics.

There’s an increasing choice of organic textiles such as organic cotton, linen and hemp.