Modern homes are all about clean lines and minimalistic tendencies in terms of aesthetics. Still, a lot of current homeowners are into the idea of building a home sustainably. To support these efforts, you can start by choosing sustainable flooring options, which we’ll give examples of in this article below.
Why choose eco-friendly floors?
If you are lucky enough to build your home from scratch, this opportunity is your best chance to embed sustainable choices within your home’s foundations.
One of the most critical parts of your home that you can turn into a more eco-friendly one would be your flooring. Even if you plan to create a modern home, sustainable flooring has a place.
Of course, one of the reasons you would want to choose eco-friendly floors is that it doesn’t harm the environment.
Unlike traditional flooring materials that may contain harmful chemicals or contribute to deforestation, eco-friendly floors are made from renewable resources or recycled materials. This type of processing reduces carbon emissions and minimizes waste, making them a more sustainable choice.
Moreover, choosing eco-friendly floors can enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of modern homes.
If the type of flooring you’re getting fits the aesthetic you are planning for your home, then all the more reason to choose that. Luckily, there are plenty of flooring options that are attractive and don’t necessarily just fit the boho aesthetic.
Now that you know why investing in eco-friendly flooring for your modern home would be interesting, let’s start covering the options open to you.
1. Bamboo flooring
Bamboo flooring is one of the best choices for flooring that you can trust will last you for years but is also attractive to look at.
When you use bamboo flooring, you have a durable material from a sustainable source. They don’t look all that different from your usual hardwood flooring, but you can also choose bamboo flooring, where you can see the distinct grain of bamboo.
Bamboo is a great option not only because of its appealing look but also because it’s a type of wood that regrows fast, so they’re a sustainable choice for many.
2. Cork flooring
If you are looking for gentler flooring with some cushioning effect, then cork flooring is a great option, not to mention sustainable.
In addition to its sustainability, cork flooring has this insulation ability, which affects both temperature and sounds since it can also insulate sounds and keep a place warm, making it an excellent choice for bedrooms.
It’s an excellent choice for children’s rooms because of its comfortable cushioning effect on the feet. Cork flooring is also great for any room where you feel like standing for a long time, so a kitchen, for example, is a great choice.
3. Hardwood flooring
There are plenty of choices for sustainable hardwood flooring either because of how durable and long-lasting they are or because they grow fast. Some of the options that you can choose, aside from bamboo, which we’ve mentioned before, would be:
- Douglas fir
- Pine
- Palm
- Maple
- Oak
If you’re dead set on getting hardwood flooring for your home because of its strength, consider opting for these woods, as they bring you want without compromising sustainability.
4. Low-VOC carpet
A low-VOC carpet means that the manufacturer made the carpet while reducing the volatile organic compounds or VOCs produced during manufacturing. VOCs are carbon chemicals that are turned into gas from artificial materials. You’d probably be familiar with it when you smell plasticky things, like a new car or plastic shower curtains.
When you want a carpeted floor, consider looking for manufacturers that create low-VOC carpets. Not only will they increase comfort in your home, but they’ll also reduce harmful chemicals released in your home’s air.
5. Linoleum flooring
Linoleum flooring is not only sustainable but quite affordable while also using a lot of renewable resources to make it, which adds to its eco-friendliness. Another reason it’s sustainable is because it’s 100% biodegradable. After all, you only need natural materials to make it.
It’s also reasonably water-resistant, so it’s an excellent choice for your home’s kitchen and bathrooms.
6. Reclaimed wood flooring
Wood flooring is popular because it’s stylish at every point in time, so it’s classic. However, sourcing new wood flooring isn’t the most sustainable thing, so many eco-conscious individuals have started looking into using reclaimed wood for their wood flooring.
Reclaimed wood flooring is when you get previously used wood as a material for your home’s flooring. These wood materials usually go through the right processes to ensure that even though they’re used, they’re still reliable and robust materials that don’t have anything wrong with them, so you can still use them for your home for a long time.
7. Concrete flooring
Concrete has always been a popular material for the modern aesthetic, going for masculine themes and straight lines with minimalism. Therefore, it helps that it’s also a sustainable choice for flooring.
Overall, it will last you a long time, so you don’t have to worry about replacing it eventually. It can even reduce your home’s energy consumption because of its better thermal stability, which means your rooms stay as relaxed or warm as you like for a longer time.
Conclusion
These flooring options are all sustainable choices that can make for a beautifully modern home that also applies to the contemporary homeowner’s desire for sustainable living practices. Therefore, if you’re going to replace or start working on your home’s flooring, consider using these options that are as reliable as they are eco-friendly.
Photo by Steven Ungermann on Unsplash.
