Eco-friendly interior options abound

Today's homeowners are increasingly eco-conscious. As a result, many homeowners take an eco-friendly approach toward home improvement projects. Whereas homeowners once worried most about their bottom lines without regard for the environment, nowadays a project's carbon footprint is high on many a homeowner's priority list. What's more, eco-friendly additions or adjustments to a home might make homeowners eligible for tax breaks, and such projects often make a home more appealing to prospective buyers. Some of the more common ways to make a home more eco-friendly include:

* Replace vinyl flooring with natural linoleum or recycled rubber floors.

* Replace old carpet with carpet tiles made of recycled content or use organic cotton area rugs throughout the home.

* Replace stone countertops with bamboo, terrazzo or paper-stone alternatives.

* Replace traditional wood flooring with reclaimed wood flooring or aesthetically appealing bamboo flooring.