Vegan from Floor to Ceiling

With the odd snowfall this past weekend, it's just about as obvious as ever that our planet is either trying to right itself or is freaking out, and I must say I'm leaning towards agreeing with the latter.

After reading a particularly shocking article last week depicting the state of the world's population crisis, can we do a bit more to impact the planet a bit less during our day to day?

Veganism is based on the idea of refraining from harm to another. That leaves a lot of room for living positively beyond our food choices. Inside your home lies many an option for lessening your footprint while easing stress and reliving great memories.

Our brief, eco-friendly journey through the home is from floor to ceiling, and starts with that upon which we tread.

In our home, the children do not tread lightly, so in high traffic areas, we wanted something as durable and sensible as it was fashionable. Choosing floor coverings is daunting when you refrain from wool – once you are avoiding it is when you realize just how much wool is in the marketplace. It may sound harmless enough to shear a sheep, however with high levels of consumption come horrific tales of meeting the demand and the sheep become merely a unit of production. In order to cut costs and produce high quantities the industry standards may come as a shock for many a consumer. We chose to go with the most eco-friendly floor covering we could find – Jute.

Jute is fast-growing, biodegradable and recyclable and I was surprised to learn that it is grown during monsoon season, which one would expect to be a rather off season for production. Jute rugs are softer than one may think, and is a neutral focal point for your decor. Sisal is also a great alternative for high traffic areas such as your kitchen or entry way – it's easy to clean and takes wet shoes rather well. Vacuum both as you would any other rug on low rug setting and with jute, just cut back any fraying, as it is a natural fiber and has some light wear.

Growing up, I remember the sound of my grandmother's old camp trunk's hinges and latches when opened to pull out my dress-up clothes. The trunk brings back such fun memories of my childhood that when I recently found it in my mom's basement, I begged for it to become my living room coffee table. An up-cycled piece of my family's history, it adds a warmth when entering our home in a room we are constantly in, pulling on jackets and shoes or welcoming guests.

Something a brand new and foreign-land-made piece of furniture could never do.
I have been asked "Are you sure?" too many times to count when entertaining and I offer my guests a fresh pressed cloth napkin at their table setting. I don't do paper napkins – probably because my mother never did – but the thought of paper napkins makes me shudder. I let my cloth napkins be my one Emily Post-ism that I treasure. The once a week ritual of ironing them, fresh from the wash, is a calming eight minutes. I love steaming the edges with a hot iron and placing the pile of crisp, colorful squares in our kitchen drawer to be used for anything from peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunches to a dinner party for eight. The fabric squares are a wonderful way to lessen your waste at every meal. Simply wash, fold and reuse.

Which brings me to the wash. I have been stalking my laundry and am not embarrassed to admit it. I am thrilled to hear the buzzer on the dryer go off lately as I have switched to Charlie's laundry detergent. It actually removes the residue left behind by almost every other detergent, both in your clothes and your actual washing machine. It is cruelty-free, non-toxic, biodegradable, scent-free, and takes just one little scoop per load. Rush to find some.

Finally, your walls and ceilings. While finding paint colors can be daunting, finding colors that are more conscious-friendly doesn't have to be. Benjamin Moore and Valspar are two major companies whose customer service and business development group employees shared that they do not test on animals and offer low VOC options. Let there be color.

Look to the old that can become new or small tasks that provide peace of mind. Ask for cruelty-free alternatives or at the very least understand the wear and tear that is a result to how we live. By making small changes here and there, we will see a big impact tomorrow.