Americans More Willing to Stretch Budgets for Sustainable Home Features

The latest American Society of Interior Designers report published in February revealed that homeowners are increasingly prioritizing sustainable home features in new-construction projects and renovations. In the wake of more devastating natural disasters linked to climate change, homeowners are also more willing to pay a purchase premium to make their homes more efficient. 

That translates to rising popularity for sustainable materials such as ceramics, porcelain, FSC certified wood flooring, and low-VOC paints, in addition to induction cooktops and LED lighting, Forbes reports.

“Sustainability and wellness are very closely linked,” commented New York-based interior designer Isfira Jensen in the Interior Design Community Facebook group. “Things that are harmful for people are, in most cases, just as harmful for the living organisms in the ecosystem. The reverse happens to also be true,” she noted. These are some of the major areas where the two converge.

“The use of eco-friendly and high-efficiency products not only helps reduce our impact on the environment, but also improves things like indoor air quality through the reduction of constant exposure to toxins (materials containing chemical byproducts and formaldehyde),” Jensen explained in her remarks.

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