Green Interior Designer

On the color wheel, green sits snugly in the space between yellow and blue. When you’re a Green Interior Designer, however, you know there’s a lot more to “interior design” than color wheels, and a lot more to “green” than color.

That’s because a Green Interior Designer is an Interior Designer who specializes not only in form, but also in function. While many Interior Designers make things look good, you make them both look good and do good — for people as well as for the planet.

Whether you’re a self-employed freelancer or the full-time employee of a green design firm, you accomplish that by blending style and sustainability for residential and commercial clients, who pay you to make interior spaces — living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, offices, etc. — at once harmonious and healthy. Like traditional Interior Designers, that means choosing colors, shapes, sizes and textures to “dress” up the insides of rooms, then executing your creative vision by designing space plans, hiring Contractors, shopping for furnishings, and physically decorating unfinished spaces.

In addition, however, Green Interior Designers engage in environmental problem solving. That’s where the “green” comes in, as your niche is choosing environmentally friendly materials and incorporating energy-efficient design elements. In your toolbox, for instance, are: energy-efficient appliances, lighting, plumbing, windows and doors; low- and no-VOC paints, stains and dyes; recycled, reclaimed and repurposed wood, tile and furniture; organic-fiber textiles and upholstery; and green “strategies” such as daylighting and rainwater harvesting.

Most interior design is pretty. Because it lowers utility bills, reduces waste and improves indoor air quality, however, your interior design is also powerful!