Interior finish materials are the last in long list of design choices that affect the environmental impact a project has. Our Green Design page offers a more in depth look at the rest.

We’ve had enough other designers ask to look through our sample library that we thought a page like this would be useful. We’re not endorsing any particular manufacturers, but a web search of any of these materials should turn up lots of good options.

FABRICS

Hemp

A great alternative to cotton or linen, hemp is grown in a variety of climates without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. Its long, strong, lustrous, mildew-resistant fibers produce fabrics ranging from heavily textured canvases to delicate hemp-silk blends.

Organic Cotton

Fifty percent of the world’s pesticides are sprayed on conventionally grown cotton; though more expensive and harder to find, organic cotton is a far more ecologically sound option. Be aware that unbleached cottons grown with pesticides and chemicals may be sold as “green” or “natural,” whereas the purest cottons are labeled “unbleached, un-dyed organic cotton.” A variety of beautiful greens and earth tones, with the colors inherent in the cotton itself, are available in denims, chambrays, canvases, and muslins.

Green Commercial Fabric

Certified by independent environmental institutions, these synthetic fabrics are made from 100-percent post-consumer or post-industrial materials—such as plastic soda-pop bottles, film, and packaging materials—using dyes and process chemicals free of hazardous substances such as PVC, microban, and other bioaccumulative toxins. The resulting products, which range from tightly woven commercial-grade upholstery to textiles that resemble linen, often can be composted or recycled at the end of their useful lives.

Ramie

Ramie comes from a linen-like plant; combined with wool, it produces a commercial-grade fabric that holds its shape, wrinkles less than linen, and exhibits extreme strength even when wet. Ramie is also one of two principal crops used to create ecological bioplastic fabrics, which but contain no petroleum.

Bamboo

Bamboo has an extremely fast growing cycle, requires no pesticides, is 100-per-cent biodegradable, and is antimicrobial and antifungal. Because of their “Jersey” softness, bamboo fabrics make excellent bedding, clothing, and towels. In the production of organic bamboo fabric, natural enzymes break down the tough plant fibers, replacing the harsh chemicals (such as caustic soda) used in the conventional treatment process.

Flax

With its crip, matte-linen finish, flax is often used for bedding and upholstery. Cultivated similarly to hemp, it requires no herbicides or artificial irrigation, and all parts of the plant are used in the production of flax fabrics. Flax fabric has natural UV-ray protection, exhibits hypoallergenic and antistatic characteristics, and is easily washed.

Recycled Polyester

Currently, sixty-five percent of the world’s textile production goes into making synthetic fibers that are produced primarily from PET, the same substance used to make plastic bottles. Polyester made from recycled plastics has lower embodied energy than virgin polyester, and it reduces the flow of waste to landfills.

FURNITURE

Antique and Vintage Furniture

Ecologically responsible alternatives to new furniture, antique and vintage furnishings possess unique character and high standards of craftsmanship. Updating upholstery and finishes can give older pieces a fresh, contemporary look.

Custom Furniture

Buying custom furniture enables you to support local craftsmen and to specify the use of sustainable production materials. Low-toxic finishes and natural fabrics protect indoor air quality, while sustainably harvested woods conserve forests, support local economies, and reduce energy consumption.

Green Furniture

Some manufacturers apply green principles to the design and production of furniture, making use of recycled, sustainably produced, nontoxic, and/or recyclable materials and minimizing production waste.

PAINTS AND PLASTER FINISHES

Low- and No-VOC Paint

Most paints and finishes “off-gas” VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which diminish the quality of indoor air and can even cause chronic illnesses. But low- and no-VOC paints contain few or no hazardous compounds. The key ingredient, water-based latex, performs its job without the addition of extenders, drying agents, formaldehyde, or heavy-duty preservatives; and it’s odor-free.

Lime Wash and Lime Plaster

Lime is a calcium-containing compound that’s often produced commercially from limestone. Combined (slaked) with water and blended with natural pigments, this bright white powder can be used to create lime wash, a nontoxic, zero-VOC, breathable wall finish whose beautiful, irregular surface develops a weathered patina with age. Similar to lime wash, natural hydrolic lime plaster is an old-world exterior finish that is breathable, extremely durable, and, due to its high elasticity, crack-resistant.

Milk Paint

Milk paint is a zero-VOC paint that dates back to ancient Egypt. The protein in milk is water-soluble, yet dries to a tough finish that can last for decades without fading. Milk paint today is sold as a powder that typically includes casein, lime, and clay. It gives walls an opaque, handcrafted, weathered character.

Integral-color Plaster

Integral-color plaster is an earth-based finish material made from clay, lime, gypsum, and marble dust. Integral-color plaster walls are usually subtly mottled, and as with other natural finish materials, they allow buildings to breathe, enhancing indoor air quality. Their surfaces can be easily repaired, and the colors of their natural-pigment tints do not fade with UV exposure.

SOLID SURFACES

Recycled-content Tiles

Recycled-content tiles are made from materials such as wood scraps, recycled glass, and ceramic pieces. Like conventional tiles, they are stain- and scratch-resistant, easy to maintain, and durable—suitable for floors, countertops, and walls. Some have excellent wear ratings and can be installed outdoors.

Green Solid Surfaces

Strong, durable and waterproof, green solid surfaces can take the form of large slabs, useful in areas such as countertops, floors, and shower enclosures.

Lightweight concrete is manufactured in a variety of colors, using low-carbon cement and recycled aggregate content such as glass, paper, shells, and fly ash. Some products employ lightweight cores to make large, crack-resistant slabs, which act as excellent alternatives to mined granite and marble.

Structurally durable and easy to maintain, biocomposites usually feature highly polished, smooth surfaces, similar in appearance to the natural materials from which they’re derived. A biocomposite countertop may be made from soybeans and other natural ingredients held together by a non-formaldehyde-, non-petroleum-based binder; or from thin sheets of recycled paper compressed in a phenolic resin made from cashew nut oil.

FLOORING

Bamboo

Bamboo is a beautiful, remarkably strong, and widely available flooring material. Newer strand-woven styles have extremely hard surfaces and varied grain patterns that hide marks and scratches. Though a considerable amount of energy is used to transport it from China, where it’s grown, bamboo is considered a green material because it grows as fast as forty inches in twenty-four hours and does not require pesticides, fertilizers, or replanting after harvesting. Look for products made with bamboo harvested from mature stocks, produced with fair labor practices, and constructed without urea formaldehyde glues.

Certified Hardwood

“Certified hardwood” refers to a wide range of wood species that are harvested in a way that preserves forest ecosystems an enables fragile communities around the globe to manage their forests for longterm economic benefit—reversing the pressure to clear-cut forests in favor of soybean, corn, and other agricultural commodities. Certification is administered by two nonprofit third-party organizations: the international Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the regionally-based Healthy Forests Healthy Communities (HFHC).

Engineered Wood

Sustainably harvested engineered wood is constructed similarly to plywood, using thin layers of laminated wood. Often, the visible face of engineered-wood flooring is made from a rare or exotic species of wood. The factory finish applied to engineered-wood floors, in addition to being highly durable, makes for a quick and easy installation.

Reclaimed Hardwood

Reclaimed-wood flooring is salvaged from demolished buildings and other structures. Though expensive, due to the labor involved in salvaging, reclaimed wood is beautiful, highly ecologically responsible, and unparalleled in quality: often derived from old-growth trees, it offers stability and grain intensity that can no longer be found in newly milled wood.

Coconut Hardwood

Coconut-tree hardwood comes from farmed plantations that have reached maturity and thus have stopped producing coconuts. As with bamboo, this material must be transported long distances to reach the United States, a factor that increases its embodied energy.

Cork

Cork flooring is a low-maintenance, environmentally friendly, durable byproduct of the cork-stopper industry, made by grinding up leftover cork-oak bark into small pieces that are coated with a nontoxic resin binder. Filled with small pockets of air, cork has excellent shock-absorption and acoustic- and thermal-insulating properties. A great choice for kitchens, cork flooring has a smooth, pebbled appearance.

Linoleum

Linoleum is a durable flooring whose jute-backed surface is made primarily of natural materials including wood flour, linseed oil, cork, and pine resins. Highly resistant to foot traffic and exhibiting inherently antimicrobial and antistatic properties, this predecessor to vinyl is re-emerging as a practical and sustainable flooring option.

Concrete

Though large amounts of energy are consumed in its production and transport, cement is considered an ecologically friendly flooring material because it can be used for both structure (a slab foundation) and finish (a polished concrete floor). Easy to maintain and impervious to dust, dust mites, mold, and other allergens, concrete can be stained any color and even stamped to look like stone.

Rubber

Rubber flooring makes use of some of the 245-million-plus tires Americans dispose of each year. Strong and shock absorbent as the tires it’s made from, rubber flooring is a great option for kitchens and other areas where foot fatigue is a concern. Also weather-resistant and able to withstand extreme temperatures, it’s ideal for outdoor applications.

Wool

Though wool is relatively expensive, its beauty, environmental sustainability, wear integrity, and comfort make it a superior alternative to synthetic carpet. Naturally stain-resistant, flame-retardant, nonallergenic, and antibacterial, wool carpet insulates in winter and releases humidity in summer, acting as a natural air conditioner. Unlike synthetic carpeting, it is produced without the use of hazardous chemicals.

Jute

Jute is a plant-fiber carpet that’s been used as a floor covering for centuries. Produced in India from the stalk of a woody herb, it is harvested by hand, its fibers spun to produce a lustrous yarn. Known for its natural color and appearance, jute is also the softest of all natural fibers, making it a good choice for areas of moderate floor traffic.

Seagrass

A renewable perennial plant harvested annually from its native territory in the saltwater marshes of the Pacific Basin, seagrass is used, like jute, to make soft, woven rugs. Seagrass rugs are nontoxic, naturally static-and stain-resistant, colorfast, durable, and easy to clean.

Sisal

Sisal is sustainably harvested from cactus leaves that are mainly produced in northeast Brazil. Strong and durable, with a scratchy, textured hand, sisal-fiber woven rugs are excellent for residential and light commercial applications.

Recycled-nylon Carpets

Recycled-nylon carpets contain as much as 100 percent recycled material but often have fewer VOCs than regular synthetic carpet. Moreover, these carpets can be easily re-recycled once their useful life is over, eliminating some of the 1.8 million tons of rugs and carpets the Carpet Recycling Committee estimates are sent to landfills each year.

APPLIANCES AND SYSTEMS

Homes and businesses consume large amounts of energy for heating, cooling, lighting, and other systems. The following energy-saving tools and technologies can help reduce the environmental impact, reduce the operating costs, and maximize the comfort of the spaces where you live and work.

Home Performance Testing

These tests evaluate the performance of heating, cooling and other systems. Prior to undertaking a remodel, they can help you determine where to place insulation, whether to make use of solar-electric systems, and how to implement other measures to make your home more comfortable, energy-efficient, and healthy.

Energy-efficient Lighting

Dimmers and occupancy sensors can reduce energy use from lighting, as can alternatives to incandescent bulbs including fluorescent, halogen, and LED lights.

Fluorescent bulbs (aka CFLs), which are sold in warm, cool, and full-spectrum shades, last ten to fifteen times longer than incandescents, producing an equal amount of light with one-quarter the energy. Halogen bulbs also produce more light, use less energy, and last longer than standard incandescent bulbs of the same wattage. LED lights, though expensive, have the longest life span (up to 50,000 hours) and, unlike fluorescents, contain no mercury.

Energy-efficient Appliances

The non-profit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy offers a useful “green” consumer guide that rates major home appliances, including heating and cooling systems, as well as provides tips on operating new and existing appliances to reduce energy use and improve performance.