Owning a luxury home was once all about the aesthetics, and creating a show-stopping living space with beautiful decor and a host of stand-out features was our only concern when it came to making ours the abode of our dreams.
But in 2023, it seems we’re becoming increasingly more environmentally conscious, with the ongoing effects of climate change now increasingly evident and prompting us to think more carefully about the choices we make and influencing home design and decoration alike.
Sustainable home solutions can often come with hefty price tags, so it stands to reason that luxury property owners – who can generally afford them more easily than your average Joe – should be the ones paving the way when it comes to promoting a greener way of living.
And this year, it seems we’re doing just that. Here are some of the latest ways we’re creating greener homes without compromising on the luxurious look and feel we love.
Geothermal heating
Harnessing the force of nature to meet indoor energy needs, geothermal pumps are becoming increasingly popular amongst luxury homeowners thanks to their environmentally friendly means of sourcing heat. They work by extracting heat from deep underground through pipes known as ‘loops’, which contain a solution that absorbs the warmth and delivers it to the pump – and because underground temperatures remain steady throughout the year, they’re an efficient solution whatever the season. Ultimately, heat pumps of this kind are allowing high-end property owners to provide optimal conditions in their homes whilst also reducing their carbon footprints – which in our eyes, is a win-win.
Sustainable and locally sourced materials
Energy efficiency begins with the materials that are chosen to construct a luxury home, but this isn’t the only reason homeowners are making more sustainable choices. Choosing materials that can be locally sourced means carbon footprints are immediately slashed dramatically, and options like stone, wood and clay are also fully recyclable, which means no waste will go to landfill once their lifespan is complete.
LED lighting
Lighting is a key consideration for luxury homeowners because it can have a dramatic impact on both the indoor and outdoor ambience. Choosing lights or lamps that are too harsh can immediately detract from the opulent feel you’re striving to create, whereas dimmer mood lighting can do quite the opposite. LED lighting is becoming viewed as the perfect solution when it comes to achieving a beautifully lit home whilst keeping environmental impact to a minimum. Advances in LED technology have meant that bulbs are now far more energy efficient that filament bulbs – and combined with the latest smart home apps, can be controlled remotely and fully customised to create the perfect vibe, whatever the time of day or year.
Green roofs and walls
Green roofs and walls are a burgeoning trend that is breathing new life into luxury city dwellings in particular, supporting nature and helping to purify polluted air. It helps that they are incredibly aesthetically pleasing, too – and because they also absorb stormwater run-off and extend the life of a roof’s supporting structure, there are many practical reasons to choose them, too. Luxury homeowners, in particular, are embracing living walls and roofs wholeheartedly in 2023, and it’s easy to see why.
Smart home technology
For the wealthy homeowner, the latest smart home technology holds an obvious appeal – making it easier and more convenient to control heating, cooling, lighting and other functionalities in just a few clicks of a smart home app. But the benefits go far beyond simply enhancing lifestyle, and WiFi connected smart home systems are also designed to help make your home more energy efficient, so it’s little wonder a growing number of us are going all in on them in 2023. Smart home systems can quickly learn your day to day patterns and create fully customised schedules to suit your needs – which includes turning off heating and lighting when you leave a room or go out to work, whilst also ensuring that everything is set up to your liking upon your return. In doing so, they ensure that little to no energy is wasted whilst allowing you to maintain the comfortable lifestyle you love – and what’s not to like about that?