Photo by Kara Eads on Unsplash
by Amy Fletcher
Homeowners and renters are splashing out on decor for their homes and are expected to spend in excess of $792 billion in the next 5 years, according to Business Wire. However, as a vegan homeowner who cares about animals and the planet, it’s crucial that you opt for vegan-friendly home decor items at all times; but, how do you do it while ensuring that your interiors look classy?
Animal-friendly Paint
House Beautiful reports that homeowners typically decorate their sitting rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms once every two to three years. However, every time you slather paint onto your interior walls, you could be using a product that contains animal ingredients. Paint often contains beeswax or dairy products, used as binding ingredients. It’s also possible that the paint has been tested on animals. So, to put some vegan-friendly color onto your walls, you need to shop around for a vegan paint. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry opted for The Organic & Natural Paint Co’s Auro range for baby Archie’s nursery, according to Refinery 29. But there are other brands to choose from. including Lakeland Paints, Kreidezeit’s Wall Paint Vega, and Farrow and Ball. When it comes to selecting vegan paint, make sure it’s eco-friendly, natural, and cruelty-free, and you can’t go wrong.
Vegan Leather Sofa
A typical sofa has a lifespan of between 7 and 15 years. If it’s time to replace yours, then you need to ensure that you avoid wool, leather, silk, fur, and down, as these materials all derive from animals. You may think this would make it difficult to find a comfortable and stylish sofa for your abode, but there’s no need to fear, as there are plenty of vegan-friendly sofas on the market that are made from animal-friendly materials. For example, apple waste such as apple cores is increasingly being used to make vegan sofas. Last year, Philippe Starck unveiled a collection of sofas and chairs made from Apple Ten Lork, and they were even chosen as PETA’s “‘Best Collaboration”’ in their 2019 Vegan Homeware Awards. Sofas made from synthetic leather are also a safe option for vegan homeowners as they’re made from plastic-based materials polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU).
Relaxing Candles
Not only do candles in the home make it look and smell great, but they also help to create a sense of calm, invigorate the mind, and help you to recall positive memories. It’s therefore unsurprising that candle sales are growing candle sales are growing at a rate that’s faster than any other item on the fragrance market. When shopping for vegan candles for your home, make sure you avoid ones that contain beeswax and stearic acid as it the latter comes from animal fat. Candles made from soy are a great choice for any vegan home, as they don’t contain any animal ingredients and aren’t harmful to the environment. You should also consider wood wick candles , a natural option. They are easy to use: you can trim the wick with your fingers. Plus, they have long-lasting scents due to their design and shape, so your home will smell amazing around the clock.
Soft furnishings
No house is a home without some luxurious and cozy soft furnishings. Throws, rugs, and cushions can really enhance the aesthetics and feel of your home, but you’ll want to ensure that every product you add to your property is vegan. Soft furnishings made out of bamboo are great as they’re naturally vegan and boast additional benefits such as antibacterial and hypoallergenic properties. You’ll find blankets, bath mats, cushions, and more made from bamboo so it’s worth opting for furnishings made from this eco-friendly material. When it comes to your curtains, linen is a good choice as it’s made from cellulose fibers found inside the flax plant, so it’s 100% vegan. Wooly rugs should be avoided for obvious reasons, but there’s no need to go without, as rugs made from organic cotton, wood pulp, hemp, or soybeans can be just as fluffy and appealing.
As a devoted vegan, you’ll want to ensure that the items you kit your home out with are just as animal-friendly as the foods you put on your plate. As such, you’ll most likely need to keep away from mainstream stores and shop around for vegan alternatives that strive to protect animals and the planet.
