If you’ve moved to Berkshire and are on the verge of decorating or redecorating a new home, then doing it the eco-friendly way is a fitting choice, especially if you’ve moved from city to countryside. Making your Berkshire home a lovely place to be while simultaneously being kind to Mother Nature is the way more and more people are going. Joining them doesn’t have to be a slog. Even if your home is partially eco-friendly, that’s going to be better than not at all.

1. Re-everything. From reclaiming to recycling, reusing and repurposing, if you can get the prefix ‘re’ on to it, then so much the better. A bit of DIY know-how here and there means you can create new items out of old. You can spruce up previously owned items from second-hand shops and find hidden treasure in skips and scrapyards. At the same time, you’ll be bringing real personality into your home instead of tepid, identikit auras. Whether it’s a coffee table or a headboard, if it’s reclaimed and restored, you’re being planet-conscious.
2. Try to determine whether any new wood you might need has been sourced ethically. There are bodies such as the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) which give approval to some products and not to others. As long as you’re not contributing to deforestation, you’re on the right track, and it’s possible to work this out as you go along.
3. Indoor Nature. Freshen up your home with indoor plants as much as you can. The air in every room will benefit, and the sight is relaxing, homely and sensual. Plants combat the bad effects of air conditioning as well as diminishing pollutants and releasing oxygen. There’ll be less carbon dioxide in your home and everyone wins.
4. Stay aware of what your friends and neighbours are doing, so that when they throw things away, you can retrieve them. Most people prefer to pass items on rather than consign them to landfills and dumps. And if you yourself are chucking stuff, use neighbours, charity shops and online auctions rather than the rubbish bin.
5. Go local. Using suppliers and companies nearby has a positive impact on the community. There’ll be a smaller carbon footprint in your wake because the goods won’t have to travel as far to reach you and you’ll also be spreading money around in the immediate community.