Delicious lounge

Designer Oliver Heath reveals practical ways you can green your living room

Second time around

One of the most exciting ways to be green around the home is to combine the new with the old.

Hunt for boot sale gems and second hand pieces of furniture. Try Ebay or online police auctions at Bumble Bee Auctions.

Often a shabby item will just need to be sanded down and given a fresh lick of paint. Jazz it up with paint and stencils, coloured ribbon (glued or pinned on) or even mosaics - great for table tops or seats.

Try left-over tiles (broken up into smaller pieces) or even strips of mirror from glaziers for a really funky mirror mosaic reflective surface. The point is to have fun turning what many think of as waste into a free resource.

Try the Recycled Products Guide with a listing of over 3,000 products available to buy.

Reclaimed timber is often really well priced and has such great character - bringing warmth and a sense of nature to your room.

My favourite spot is the Brighton and Hove Wood Recycling Project, which I saw featured in Earthmatters just a short while ago.

Don't chuck your furniture till you've tried passing it on at Freecycle - if you're a self-confessed garbage geek, you'll also love Scavenge UK

This article is taken from Earthmatters (Spring 2005), Friends of the Earth's supporter magazine - join to receive your copy.

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