1. Use eco-friendly, low-VOC paint, and paint everything (walls, floor and ceiling) the same colour. Tip: Rent a spray machine from your local hardware store and cut painting time in half.
2. Place a rain chain and barrel under eavestroughs to catch water for watering plants.
3. Update dated fluorescent fixtures with more attractive lighting and energy-efficient bulbs.
4. Make room for greenery. Bring in large potted plants or built-in planters to keep the air fresh and suck up CO2. Choose native plants that don’t require much water.
5. Choose natural accents. Roll out a seagrass, coir or sisal area rug for a finished look.
6. Use reclaimed wood for decking and fencing. Cedar ages gracefully and naturally repels bugs.
7. Repurpose found objects or shop yard sales for interesting pieces.
8. Think local. Source materials and furniture from nearby places to reduce the negative impact of long-distance shipping.
9. Salvage whatever you can. Cover chairs with fresh new fabric or donate old kitchen cupboards to organizations like Habitat for Humanity (habitat.ca).
10. Create accessible recycling and make the most of storage. Use dowels to hang recycling bags along one wall to store recycling overflow. Attach a series of metal buckets to the wall for storage and to create a ledge for an iPod station, books and magazines.
