Interior Design Masters' Michelle Ogundehin shares her secrets to a more sustainable home

If you've been looking to make your home more eco-friendly, you've come to the right place.

We caught up with iconic interiors consultant, author and Interior Design Masters star Michelle Ogundehin to find out all of her sustainable living tips.

Read on to discover Michelle's tips for reducing your home's carbon footprint.

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Michelle Ogundehin’s tips for a sustainable home

Surround yourself with elemental materials

Choose materials like marble, granite, wood, glass and cotton for your home, as these will only ever contribute to your wellbeing. But, as well as being natural in origin, these materials need to be tactile. As physical sensory beings, we need to surround ourselves with surfaces that stimulate.

Avoid plastics, vinyl or synthetics wherever you can

Natural cork decorative wall tiles, from £10, Portuguese Treasures/ Etsy

Try to steer clear of synthetic materials where possible, from nylon carpets and polyester fabrics to formaldehyde exuding MDF. They all contain chemicals which you do not want in your happy healthy, soon to be non-toxic home.

Boring but important: do your draught-proofing

Draught-proof your windows and doors to keep the heat in

There’s no point installing solar panels, roof insulation or underfloor heating if all that lovely heat and energy is whistling straight out through leaky windows and doors. Seal them up and save money!

When adding insulation, ask your builder to look into environmentally friendly options

Lynn's home was formerly purple, with uneven floors and a leak in the ceiling. ‘The dining room was extremely dark when we first bought the house, so we painted it white. Now, light enters the large patio doors and bounces off the walls to create a bright space. We also had to get a new roof and insulation, but it made the whole ground floor so much warmer’

Materials like hempcrete, cork, sheep’s wool, cellulose (from shredded paper) or wood wool. All non-irritant, safe to handle and completely recyclable.

Add thermostats in every room

Add smart thermostats to control heating in each room

You can then control which rooms are heated according to who’s at home. It’s easy to turn the temperature down with home tech and one degree lower could see you make savings of up to £75/year according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Are smart thermostats really worth it? Here’s what you need to know

Wash at a max temperature of 30 degrees

Your clothes will be just as clean, and you’ll save even more money by using less energy.

Choose natural lime-based paints

Outdoor Living Table In Old White And Graphite Chalk Paint With Tallulah Stencil Pattern Chairs In Old White And Florence. Plaster Effect Wall In Scandinavian Pink, all Annie Sloan

Did you know that most paints are 37% plastic? And a major cause of global microplastic pollution? Choose natural lime-based paints so you and your home can breathe more easily. Lime-based paints also naturally inhibit bacteria and mould. Ask for lime-based plaster wherever possible too when you’re renovating.

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