THE START OF GREEN THINGS TO COME

As an Interior Designer and one who had sold my SUV [Ford Explorer] for a Mini Cooper - my partner had sold his Mercedes for a Toyota Prius - I found that looking for and implementing sustainable solutions to design and indeed life is not impossible, but can be challenging sometimes. Downsizing our cars and switching all the light bulbs in the house to compact flourescents was not enough. I want to actually make a tangible difference to the way I live and design seemed the best place to start.....but the list goes on and on as we go through our daily lives.

I found that asking clients if they would like me to be concientious in my choice of materials and was that important to them that I would be met with a shrug and/or a presumtion that green/eco meant it might be more expensive?

More damaging to the environment than the use of fossil fuel powered vehicles are the buildings we live and work in. The construction of an average 3 bedroom family house can result in up to 2 ½ tons of waste going to the landfill. But we start to create rubbish for the landfill from the moment we wake up in the morning. To truly stop killing the Planet we should just all kill ourselves, right? Of course not. There are ways and means and I want to find out about as many of them as I can and share them with whoever will listen!!

I have since decided to be my own client, using the skills and research I have done to develop eco properties. The houses will incorprate as many sustainable products and ideas as possible so that when it come time to sell, the USP will be the low energy bills [if any] and the low impact we have made on the environment in building and living is such a house.

This blog will document my journey through a sustainable - and still enviably stylish - way of living, designing and building that lowers our carbon emissions, utility bills and improves our health as well as the planets.

Studies have shown that many people feel the problem is too great and that there is nothing to be done - and so do nothing themselves. The same study also shows that if every household made a few of the small changes it takes to live life at a more sustainable level, the accumalitve effect would be enormous.

So here we go. I will post websites and photos and video - if i can work out how to do it!! - and look forward to your feedback.

I need to tell you a bit about the Sexy Green Car Show and the Eden Project - one of my favourite places to visit in my home country....watch this space!!

The Eco Warrioress