Photographs by Sarah Barnard, LEED AP

Above left: Sarah Barnard, LEED AP, and author of this article
Above right: Textured poinsettias and elegant jars tie in a festive theme based around nature

Using what you have and enjoying who you’re with never goes out of style. This holiday season, find ways to trim your tree without trimming your bank account, as well as ways to give without taking a lot from our planet’s resources. Don’t think of purchasing less holiday decorations or fewer dinners out as cutting back, think of it as streamlining your healthier happier life!

Holiday Decorations

Holiday decorating (or any decorating) is about expressing your personal style and complimenting your architecture. Don’t be afraid to use found objects or unconventional color schemes in your holiday décor plans.

Fearlessly mix textures within the same tonal range. Similar colors love to play against each other’s unique textures and usually bring out the best in each other. Create an elegant, earth friendly holiday table setting by using a subtle repetition of various hues of burnt orange, berry, and gold. Seek out objects like an organic silk table runner, wool napkins, natural feather napkin rings, handmade fireclay dishes, and blown glass goblets.

Above: Warm earth tones help to dress a holiday table

For clients who don’t want over-the-top holiday cheer, I integrate seasonal elements from nature to subtly remind us of the elements that surround us. For example, I gathered fallen seedpods, preserving the bright green ones, and painting the brown ones silver. Together in simple bowls, they harmonized with the place settings and will last the whole month long.

Buying less holiday knick knacks means less clutter in your space, and fewer boxes in the garage. Why buy more table top decorations when everyone is going to keep giving them to you anyway?

The Tree

Many homeowners have become uneasy about the idea of “wasting” a tree every year for the sake of tradition. People who care about the environment, and/or just don’t want to haul another dead tree to the curb for trash pick up, are turning to re-usable faux trees. Although most synthetic trees aren’t made with earth friendly ingredients, they do last for years and can also be purchased secondhand. Some vintage Christmas trees are really delightful!

Above: The annual decorating of the faux tree always adds cheer to an interior

Another way to avoid dead Christmas trees is to purchase a small living tabletop-size tree that you can take outside after the holidays, care for it, watch it grow, and then bring in year after year to decorate it for the holidays. Note: If you buy a tree that is too large to begin with, this method won’t work well.

What do you do if you have collected a wild and crazy assortment of mismatched ornaments? First, give an honest assessment. If you have managed to collect ornaments that you aren’t in love with, it’s okay to let them go. Donate them to a local re-sale shop, church, or school. After this, assemble your remaining ornaments into groups. Once you have a clear picture of what you have, you can begin to prepare a plan. Let’s say that you have Grandma’s classic Victorian ornament collection and you want to modernize it; consider purchasing 2” chrome or teal Christmas balls as a unifying element that will add a fresh, minimalist feel to the mix.

Eco-Friendly Gift Giving

This year, you can give to the people that you love (while also saving the world) with affordable gifts from the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC). These gifts range in price from ten to twenty dollars and support the preservation of wildlife and eco-systems. The National Resource Defense Council website offers five unique gifts that can double the benefits of gift giving:

With just $10 from your own pocket, you can help to revive a rainforest by planting a tree in honor of someone special. Each tree that is purchased will be planted in a newly revitalized rainforest in Costa Rica. The recipient of this gift will receive a Certificate of Rainforest Restoration recognizing the important role that each donation has in slowing the process of global warming, thus increasing the habitat for tropical wildlife.

For $15, you can help to stop wolf hunting in the Northern Rockies. With this purchase, a Certificate of Wolf Protection will be sent by mail to your friend or family member for whom you’ve purchased this gift.

For another $15, you can also be an advocate in saving polar bears from extinction with a striking Certificate of Polar Bear Protection. Each certificate acknowledges the name of both the recipient and purchaser to connect their efforts to save the endangered wildlife.

For $20, you can personalize a beautiful Certificate of Whale Protection. This gift goes towards the protection of baby gray whales and their mothers in an untouched nursery that is located in Mexico’s Laguna San Ignacio.

Finally, for another affordable $20, the National Resource Defense Council offers a book that is written by their President, Frances Beinecke, which advocates sustainable energy resources. This book is based upon Thomas Paine’s classic, Common Sense, which explains how Americans can rely on sustainable energy sources as a way to improve healthier futures for all, including wildlife.

These eco-friendly holiday suggestions can help to conserve our planet’s resources as well as your personal bank account. Preserve the jolly spirit of this season (and the seasons that have yet to come) by re-using what you’ve got in creative ways and making responsible purchases that you can feel good about. Sustainable living can come in small, easy to open packages, and with just a little bit of effort, you can have a fabulous and eco-friendly holiday!

Written by Sarah Barnard, LEED AP

Sarah Barnard is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), is certified by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) and is recognized by the United States Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional. Undertaking a broad range of projects, all of which are grounded in smart design and mindful of healthy living, Sarah’s diverse body of work includes upscale private residences, chic restaurants and impressive corporate headquarters. Ms. Barnard specializes in green design and historic preservation and is an active member of the Santa Monica and Los Angeles Conservancies. For more information please visit http://www.sarahbarnard.com