A British company named "olli & lime" created the "George" pattern you see above. It's meant for kids, but with a color described as "milk chocolate", I have decided it's good for adults too! It's printed on paper made from sustainably harvested wood.

As I start using more eco-friendly paint on my projects, it has really gotten me thinking about wallpaper, too. Unfortunately, many wallpapers are vinyl and can off-gas harmful compounds into your home for years to come.  Plus the adhesives, inks, and finishes can be hazardous as well.  The good news is that fantastic eco-friendly wall-covering designs are popping up every day so you can have the beauty of wallpaper without the concern of harmful chemicals in your home.  

How to choose and eco-friendly wallcovering:

1. Look for wallcoverings that are printed on paper instead of vinyl.  Vinyl not only emits harmful gases in your home but the chemicals it is made with can harbor mold.  And once it gets to a landfill the problems continue.  Also, it is best if that paper is FSC certified.  This means that the Forestry Stewardship Council has approved the forestry methods used by the company that harvests the trees that eventually become paper.
2. Make sure the company uses natural water-based paints and dyes so you are not adding VOC’s to your environment.  You might be surprised at how beautiful vegetable dyes can be.
3. Lastly, use an eco-friendly wallcovering adhesive or make your own like they did in the old days.  This is not the time to cut corners and bring the chemicals back into the equation!

I hope you consider an eco-frendly wallcovering when your walls need sprucing up.  These great options will show you that they are short on harmful chemicals but long on style.

I LOVE these wall flats from Inhabit, but I am not sure why they are called wall flats when they are full of texture! They are made from 100% molded bamboo pulp, come 10 panels per box, and come in 5 textures. They an also be painted!

This beautiful wallpaper from Graham & Brown has a modern and classic feeling, all at once. The textural pattern is created from the bird feather patterns. All papers from their Eco Collection are printed on paper from managed timber sources and are printed with only water-based inks.

Mod Green Pod designs and sells beautiful eco-friendly wallpapers and fabrics. They use water-based inks on a cellulose paper and give the paper a water-based glaze that can tolerate light wiping.

Tags: eco-friendly, walls & ceilings

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