The sustainability habit

We’re creatures of habit. In fact almost 50% of our behaviour is habitual. Many of us would already have some pretty awesome sustainable living behaviours. But to really live a sustainable life and sustain it over a lifetime, it has to become a way of thinking. And that way of thinking, a habit.

You might shower in under four minutes every time, but forget to switch off the tv at the power point. Or you might buy free-range eggs at home, but never remember to check if the chook is free-range when eating out.

And that’s just it, when something’s not a habit, before it becomes a habit, there’s a lot of remembering (and forgetting) involved.

The trick then is to turn sustainable living into a habit, as quickly as possible.

Trouble is, habits don’t develop overnight. One study found that it takes on average 66 days for a behaviour to become habitual.

The hunt for real food

Image via Yahoo! 7 Lifestyle

When I was young my mother would take me to the market. There, she would carefully, slowly, with keen concentration, select green beans individually. One by one. Green bean by green bean. She’d then move on to mushrooms. One mushie at a time. Quality assurance. You might think I hated this. And you’d be right. It drove me nuts. Why couldn’t she just grab haphazard handfuls like everyone else’s mother? The greengrocer would be staring at her and I’d feel like fleeing to Equatorial Guinea. Shopping trips would take three hours. I’m a very impatient person.

Now in my 30s, I’d like to thank her for this unusual behaviour. Because of her commitment to only the finest of green beans, I have an appreciation for quality produce that I don’t believe I’d otherwise have. And over the years, this appreciation has grown into a love of real food, organic food, whole food, slow food.

I’ve made the commitment to eat real food.

Only real food. Nothing with additives, nothing highly processed, nothing manufactured. That pretty much wipes out most of the products on supermarket shelves.

Living sustainably when you're not a hippy

Photo by himbeerkuss

I have a friend who rolls her eyes whenever she hears the words green, eco, organic, or sustainable. To her, ‘eco-friendly’ conjures images of unshaven, patchouli-smelling hippies coming out of the bushes smoking joints and humming Puff the Magic Dragon, wearing rainbow tie-dye. Personally I love that image (minus the joints of course, say no to drugs kids), it makes me giggle. But my dear friend reels, as do many who have drawn the association that to call yourself an eco-warrior is to strap yourself naked to a tree.

Look past the overgrown underarm hair, wash off the essential oil and put a pair of pants on the tree-hugger and you’ll find that underneath it all, at the heart of those seemingly sanctimonious activists, is a genuine and undying consideration for the environment and the impact our actions have on it. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

To me, sustainable living is a state of mind. It starts with the understanding that we are one part of an intricately connected earth, and, therefore, that each and every action we take has a consequence.

Creating a fresh look with preloved materials - Styling with Tara Sloggett

To me, decorating sustainably means (amongst other things) thinking about the origin of each piece you bring into your home, and using preloved and recycled materials whenever you can. The danger in this, some might say, is ending up with a home like your old Aunt Dorothy's. Hush hush, that needn't be. Tara Sloggett is a super exciting stylist because she demonstrates how you can decorate sustainably, using preloved materials, whilst creating a modern, fresh and vibrant look. Tara sneaks preloved pieces very subtly into her home, and gives them a new lease on life. A rejuvenated chest of drawers next to a modern bed, an antique mirror above a sleek sink, an old wooden reel whitewashed and converted into a side table. Mixing it up with a few modern (but equally thoughtful) pieces is the key.

Originally from London, Tara relocated to Cape Town, South Africa, only a few years ago, and now uses this beautiful country as a backdrop for her inspirational styling work. Tara was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about her sustainable decorating style, and give us a little sticky beak into her gorgeous yet relaxed Cape Town home.

What is your decorating philosophy?
Don’t be frightened to try something, playing safe is boring! What’s the worst that can happen? So you paint a wall a crazy colour….there’s always a tin of white waiting in the wings!

What's your favourite piece?
A few things actually. I’m really into dark grey at the moment. I’ve painted two walls in a deep deep charcoal colour and also have a new retro grey sofa (so friends don’t have to sit on the floor or lined up on one sofa ‘waiting room style’ any more - yay!). I’ve also added some more storage space in the kitchen and painted the cupboards grey and added a few painted doileys. I just found an old ball and claw foot dining table that I’m itching to do something to, but just haven’t decided what yet. I still want to keep its history there, so I think it’s gonna end up a bit of a mix, something I’ve come to call ‘tradcool’ – corny but it works for me!

What does sustainable decorating mean to you? Why is sustainable decorating so important?
I think if it’s possible to create something beautiful knowing that you’ve only added to what was already there and not taken from it, then why not? Take the natural beauty of wood. It’s something that you will never tire of, it has history and will always be a classic - we definitely need more heirlooms to pass on to the generations to come.

What are you passionate about?
I love creating something from almost nothing. Some of my favourite pieces of furniture or creations have been things I’ve found along the roadside and given a home. It seems to be the things I spend money on go unnoticed and the ones that have been given my undivided attention and dedication seem to catch everyone’s eye - I think love must shine through!

Three words to describe 'home'.
SAFE. LOVE. SOUL.

Images courtesy of Tara Sloggett.

Visit Tara's beautiful website http://www.tarasloggett.com/.