When my husband and I bought a house that had been a student rental for 30 years, we realized pretty quick that there were safety issues. We found ourselves having to upgrade just about everything. As an environmental scientist, the research into every item was exhausting. The items had to be cost effective and environmentally preferable; two things that clever marketers seem to think do not go together. Even though sustainability should make an item cheaper, the awareness and demand for eco-friendly products has created a premium market. I looked at the cost of everything akin to what I would carry on my back on a backpacking trip. Every ounce and every dollar adds up. The eco-premiums on items were ridiculous. Sustainable flooring (FSC certified) was twice as expensive as the non-certified flooring. The more sustainable sheetrock was even more expensive, even though it is lighter and cheaper to ship. Worse than the added cost, sometimes the more sustainable option was not as aesthetically pleasing. It tended to be the uglier version of an item. We really had to dig to find cost comparable, aesthetically pleasing sustainable options.
But one item- and a really fun one at that- seemed to defy and be left untouched by the eco-premium marketers. This item remained cost comparable and was even sometimes the cheaper and more beautiful option. A friend told me that the lighting of a house is the jewelry. It’s the thing that sparkles, brightens and shadows to make everything look more glamorous. She told me to choose carefully and not to skimp on the lighting. I set out to find lighting with that in mind, but, again, as an environmental scientist, I also wanted to pick the lights made with recycled content, energy efficient LEDs, and more sustainable materials.
Shopping for lights was much like shopping for jewelry. It was actually fun, and I hate shopping. Beautiful recycled glass pendants abound and are relatively cheap. Anything made from wicker or rattan is a fast-growing resource with little end-of-life impact to the planet, according to the Basket Lady.
These lights are very affordable and the rope cord is a nice touch.
My favorite lights selected were recycled glass fixtures from Pottery Barn for the dining room and wicker lights modeled from fishing baskets from CB2 for the living room. If you want to get something that you won’t see in everyone’s living room and possibly the nearby restaurant, go to Etsy and pick something made by a small seller. Check out Wooden Lamp Boutique on Etsy that uses water-based coatings on wood to create artistic lighting. Bamboo also makes great lights and is another fast-growing material that requires no chemicals to grow and is self-propagating.
When shopping for outdoor lights, I gravitated towards solar lights. But then I realized that a lot of the cheaper solar lights on the market came with reviews stating they broke after less than a year. Something that lasts less than a year just becomes an e-waste hassle. E-waste - electronic devices mixed in with plastics and metals- are often not recycled and wind up in local or oversea landfills where their toxins can leach out. I had an aha moment realizing that I could wire lighting using the solar energy from our home and get a more sturdy outdoor fixture that lasts longer.
Have fun picking your home’s jewelry!
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