Having recently moved, I have found myself scavenging far and wide for the most delectable and ethically sound pieces to help fill my new space with. I have been thoroughly enjoying hunting for these eco items and learning the missions and stories behind so many small, independent creatives. In addition to finding an array of wonderful trinkets and furnishings to coat my new place with, I have acquired an array of trendy, tremendously sustainable tips and tricks to employ into a move.

We all know how wasteful and how consumptive a move can be for anyone - and if you’re worried about the logistics behind it, you can read a piece I wrote for Ecoage here.

But once we’ve made the big leap, moved all our possessions into our new home, we are ready to begin the next phase transition (the fun bit).

Get imaging

Pinterest and Interior Instagram accounts (my favourites right now are @heartzeenahome and @esteelalande) are your soul mate in the realm. Carve out a few thirty minute intervals during your week leading up to a move to lose yourself in their visionary platforms. Create pages, boards and pins of how you want your new space to look. what colours and themes you're drawn to. What prints and shapes you like too. This is a great way to build a solid foundation for how you can keep retreating back to this mood board - coming back to it whenever you want to be reminded of the look and essence you want to cultivate in your space. I find this a really helpful tool to return back to; sometimes another person's interiors are so beautiful we get drawn into that and what they have, rather than just acknowledging that it may be their creative eye that has built a wonderful picture. We can appreciate other's spaces without having to show this appreciation through purchase.

Slow and steady wins the race

If you are moving into an unfurnished house, you can often be caught in an awkward in between - I am talking about the dinners you have, sat on the kitchen floor whilst you wait for your new table and chairs. You can either plan ahead to avoid this gaping layover or be patient and wait calmly - either works fine but one thing to be keep away from is panic buying cheap, plastic items that you know you will dispose of as quickly as you purchased. Be mindful during the early days of moving and know that with great patience, comes great profit (or in our case, maybe just your perfect 1920s chest of drawers set).

Buy second hand

Bearing this in mind, when looking for new, larger interior articles - keep your eyes out and stretched in charity shops, auctioneer outlets and eBay pages. This is again, an art of patience. Patience, plus perseverance, persistence and specifics - have a clear idea of what you are looking for and keep hunting far and wide for what you’re after in preloved outlets. There are so many wonderful pieces and furnishings in existing, simply begging for a new, safe home - so tend to these sites and shops first before buying brand new. Not only is this better for the environment, these items will undoubtedly house a whole host of stories from its previous owners. It will, very modestly, but very easily add a real sense of character and spirit to your new space for sure.

Support small and sustainable brands

Maybe its the lockdown shackles biding me into my place tighter - so creating a serene and personal surrounding is even more pertinent. Or maybe it's the move providing a fresh opportunity to spruce up my space and get inspired with new styles, patterns and textures. But I think it is quite likely that I have frankly fallen head over heels in love with some miraculously mindful and conscientious furnishings and decorative items.

SO! Once you have collected up or inherited or transferred the bulk of your possessions (beds, cabinets, desks, chairs etc), you can begin to refine the look you are wanting to create. Now, many may perceive that if you walk down the sustainable route that you’ll be restricted with how you want your home to look; feeling that you’ll have a narrow choice of recycled glass jar storage facilities or hemp covered pillowcases. And although these may spark your fancy and there are definitely beautiful items to be found in this vicinity…there are now so so many fantabulous ethical brands out there, working to provide us with a true, tasteful mix of styles, colours and themes. SO batt that bland coloured belief of sustainability away! Some of my favourite finds have been the wonderfully inventive glass Idyll pendant lampshades, which I think are just so simplistic whilst being pretty enough to last a lifetime. I love embellishing my environment with framed pictures as well as greenery too. I think it spruces up any interior with life and personality, nicely! It has been well documented that being around plants has numerous benefits to your mental and physical wellbeing, whilst simultaneously bringing us closer to nature and our planet. A bountiful selection of frames can be found in any charity shop and I love the look of slightly aged ones. You are also able to find truly beautiful, vibrant prints on sites like etsy and instagram. You can support young, fresh, small independent businesses whilst also nabbing up something which is always personal and completely unique. One artist I love is Carolyn Gavin who ships worldwide in completely recyclable packaging.

But my last and favourite thing to adorn my space with is dried flowers. I was therefore understandably over the moon upon discovering shida preserved flowers. Not only did SPF (ha..SPF!..both save the day!) hold the same beliefs and values as I in caring and protecting for the environment, but her bouquets were simply to die for. SPF has a considerable array of different fauna’s - allowing everyone to find something that’ll suit them wisely. I opted for the DIY bundle as the mustard and peach pink tones blended so well in my new bedroom. I love shida's ethos, collection and knowing that they’ll last me a lifetime.

Lauren McCrostie is an actress, writer and sustainability activist.

www.laurenmccrostie.co.uk/

@laurenmccrostie/