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Designs for an Energy Efficient Living Room

Feb 6, 2013

If there’s one spot in your house that you want to look the best, it’s probably your living room. You spend most of your downtime here and you want it to look great to impress your guests. And that’s a good reason why you want it to be energy efficient. Since you probably use it so much, you might be wasting more energy than you think. A living room design that is energy efficient and stylish can increase the value of your home while making it look better!

Style…and Substance

Lighting: Maybe you still use old-school light bulbs. Why not switch it up? Give your living room design a futuristic look by adding in LED lights. These lights can last up to 50, 000 hours (10 years) and use only a fraction of the electricity regular bulbs use. Or why not set a relaxing mood with some soothing ambient lights. Also, don’t forget compact fluorescent light bulbs, which are six times more efficient than regular light bulbs. These lights can make youren ergy efficient living room design look much more interesting while saving you money on energy bills. Talk about a win-win situation!

Home Theater: That 52-inch high-definition flat screen and surround sound system together looks awesome. But they can account for 15% of your monthly energy bill. Buying ENERGY STAR certified electronics could do wonders for your monthly electricity bill because they’re designed to use less power, even when turned off. And keep in mind that home theater systems give off heat, don’t set them up near your thermostat. It can trigger your AC to work harder than it needs to.

Fireplace: Every once in a while, it’s nice to sit around the fireplace with the family isn’t it? But what you may not know is that your fireplace uses energy even when you aren’t using it. Only 15% of the wood’s energy is used to create useful energy. Therefore, look for fireplaces that are designed to be as energy efficient as possible and create more heat while producing less waste. The good thing is that with today’s improved technology, you can find many styles that make a energy efficient living room design look great.

Windows & Drapes: Windows can make or break a living room design. But they also can mean the difference between saving or not on your energy bills. ENERGY STAR certified windows are great at controlling room temperature, giving your HVAC system a break. And then there are your drapes. Pay attention to the fabrics because they can trap a lot of heat or cold air. With that in mind, you can use drapes to make your living room design take on any look you want it to. Want an exotic look? Pick up some Eastern-inspired drapes. Or maybe you’re into the retro style, in which case you could choose something that looks like it belongs on the set of Mad Men!

Making Changes

There you have it! Putting in a little time and effort to make these areas energy efficient goes a long way. You can pull off just about any living room design style you want while lowering the cost of your energy bill. Hiring a RESNET qualified contractor is a great way to start the process. They can help you figure out which areas need to be more energy efficient. Also, they know how to make an energy saving plan work together with your creative flare. In other words, you can make your energy efficient living room design look great and work better all at the same time!