Eco-Friendly Living Room Tour + Tips to Make Your Home More Green

An eco-friendly and sustainable living room tour, plus 5 easy and budget-friendly tips to make your space more green. 
This post is written in collaboration with Medley. 

Why hello, friends. I have exciting news: after living in our home for almost a year, our living room is *finally* finished! (Seriously, I don’t know how the designer pros do it in days…are they actually human?) Anyways, today I am giving you a virtual tour of the space via this blog post, so read on if you’re into that. 

From My Bowl is primarily a food blog, but my main mission with this site is to help everyone lead healthier, happier, lives 🙂 Wholesome and nourishing food is a great start, but wellness extends far beyond our plates, bowls, and oversized mugs.

Here’s a thought: “Clean” or healthy food is trendy, but have you considered that your furniture might be even “dirtier”? 

Conventional Furniture isn’t as “healthy” as you think 

Conventional furniture is often stuffed (literally) with harsh chemicals and sprayed with fire retardants (PFOAs), which can interfere with hormones, affect the immune system, and increase the risk of some cancers. 

Not to mention that most “cheap” furniture is made under unfair working conditions (p.12) and isn’t built to last. However, some companies are working to change that…

Medley strives to change the industry, with truly nontoxic furniture that’s good for you and the planet. 

That’s why I partnered with Medley to help us furnish our space with their eco-friendly, US-made furniture. Medley goes the extra mile and truly crafts furniture with YOUR health in mind, all the way from the wood glue to their wide range of organic fabric choices. 

Medley also uses either locally grown and/or reclaimed hardwood, and zero-VOC fillers and finishes. Everything is made-to-order in California, delivered in 4 to 6 weeks, and has a 100% money-back guarantee. 

You also don’t have to sacrifice comfort *or* quality at the cost of eco-friendly. Our Rio Bumper Sectional is so cozy and soft that we maaaay or may not have fallen asleep on the couch instead of our bed…on multiple occasions. (Oops) We were also able to select a pet-friendly and easy to clean fabric, which takes a lot of stress about my fur babies playing tug of war on the couch.

Our Atten 4-Door Credenza (1) looks really good, (2) has more than enough storage space for our board games and yoga props, and (3) has an amazing magnetic door system – you know, just in case you’re prone to swinging your drawers and doors open with uncalled for force, like me. And if you don’t do that, it’s still very handy, sleek, and stylish. 😉 

Easy Ways to “Healthify” Your Home

So, now what? Unless you’re in the market for new furniture, it’s not that sustainable to throw your current stuff out. The good news is that health is never an all-or-nothing thing, and there are plenty of steps you can take right now (!!!) to make your home more green. 

• Design your space with healthy lifestyle habits in mind. We like to keep our yoga mats visible (in a cute thrifted basket) to remind us to move our bodies, and try not to go too overboard on clutter to help clear the mind. I also like to keep a stack of magazines or books in sight, to encourage me to read instead of scroll mindlessly on my phone.
• Oils > candles. Most store-bought candles are full of artificial fragrances and questionable chemicals. Instead, swap them out for an essential oil diffuser, or try to find some eco-friendly candles near you! We picked up a few from our farmer’s market that are made from natural soy wax and essential oils – that’s it. 
• Purchase non-toxic cleaning supplies (or DIY them!) Conventional cleaning products, again, can contain some sketchy fragrances – not to mention hash chemicals. Luckily for us, eco-friendly (and person-friendly) cleaners are on the rise and available in most stores. If you can’t find one near you – DIY it! There are about a hundred and two natural “recipes” online, all made from affordable and effective ingredients.
• Plants! Indoor plants can help to boost mood, increase productivity, and reduce stress. They also help to clean the air by absorbing chemicals, increasing humidity, and producing oxygen! Check out your local plant nursery for a new green friend, or just go to the hardware store, where you can pick one up for as little as $5-10. It’s recommended to have 1 plant per 100 feet of your home, and as a plant lady, I’m a-ok with that.
• Clean Regularly. This one is kind of obvious, but I could be better at it myself. The longer your house goes between dustings, the more dust, skin cells, and pollen circulating in the air.

Like I said before, go at your own pace – try to pick one healthy habit off of this list, and go from there! Every effort counts, and the benefits go right back to you 🙂 

Do you have any other hacks to make your home more “green”? Leave a comment below and tell me about them – I’d love to know more!