Adding a dash of green to the décor can be soothing as well as healthy. You have a wide range of options to do up the interiors in an environment-friendly manner. This involves using items that are recycled, reclaimed, organic or renewable, materials that use less energy and are more region-specific. Get eco-friendly upholstery and curtains to give your home an uber-cool look and let your neighbour turn green with envy.

Using eco-friendly decor also means you care for the planet earth. More and more companies are joining the green bandwagon and unveiling furniture and décor items made of sustainable resources or recycled materials. These days, one can even buy fabrics with green certification. “100 per cent cotton or organic cotton is a good choice, as is hemp, silk, linen and wool,” says Puja Pusalkar, design-head, Portico New York, a store that specialises in interior décor items.

“Another trend in decorating your home is borrowing patterns that are inspired by nature. Bold floral and leaf designs in bright colours are available in fabrics that have been made without using harmful chemicals. It’s all about creating a home environment that’s serene and soothing by embracing simple, understated luxury and soft colours distilled from sunlight, green fields, oceans, beaches, deserts and forests,” says Pusalkar.

Portico products are available across Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle outlets and other home textile and furniture stores. “There is a strong need to bring nature indoors. Going green is more than a trend, it’s becoming a way of life,” she adds. Portico New York recently launched its ‘Supernature’ collection, which includes fabrics with foliage patterns on linens and surfaces. Portico draws inspiration from nature and life, offering products that are organic. Their organic bed sheets cost Rs 2,499, duvet cover and bed covers cost Rs 4,499, and quilts Rs 3,499 onwards.

“Natural fibres such as silk work very well with eco-friendly furniture. The natural sheen of silk adds elegance to eco-friendly furniture and the fabric is excellent for sofa and cushion covers. Natural silk sheets look extremely lovely as window dressings. A lot of silk fabrics are used with eco-friendly wooden frames to make Chinese screens, which act as natural space separators in a home. For those who would like to minimise the use of wood in their homes, silk floor cushions and silk quilts and coverings for low settings are a good option,” says a spokesperson of Atmosphere, a luxury furnishing brand with 12 stores across India and two stores in Singapore and Dubai.

Atmosphere has a range of silk sheets, curtains and upholstery, which cost between Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,800 per metre.

The eco-friendly options are not limited to upholstery. You could even extend the concept to bathroom, kitchen and floor.

Germany-based Grohe that specialises in luxury bathroom and kitchen fittings recently launched the Rainshower Icon, which is part of its EcoJoy product range in India. Priced at Rs 4,490, the product guarantees low water and energy consumption. It is also quick and easy to use. A specially coloured button on the shower handle allows water consumption to be reduced significantly, without blocking the nozzle and without compromising on the fun part.

Delhi-based interior designer Seema Singh has more suggestions. “Wooden flooring is much sought after for its aesthetic appeal. But a greener option would be to go for plantation wood, reclaimed wood, and bamboo, or even palm and rubber wood. Similarly, natural linoleum, recycled rubber floor, or even cork floors are excellent options in place of vinyl flooring.”

She also adds that jute carpets, organic cotton rugs and carpet tiles with recycled content are good green options in comparison with their synthetic counterparts.

Well, what are you waiting for? Aren’t you seeing green already?