Ohio’s First Passive House: The Decor & Take-Home Tips

While walking the Passive House in February, we couldn’t help but notice the decor choices made for the ultimate eco-friendly home. From the flooring choices to furniture, accessories, color schemes, and textures, we were taken with how incredibly discerning the owners were in furnishing their new home.
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We’d like to show you how chic and timeless environmental decor can be, and give you some tips for your home inspired by Passive House.


Sustainable Materials
The most obvious choice throughout the home are the materials with which the floors were made. Throughout the downstairs bamboo is found:
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While upstairs is outfitted with cork:
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While adding the flooring materials to your home would be a larger project, they’d add sustainable beauty to boot.
Creative Storage
Underneath these gorgeous, two-tone bamboo stairs:
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were some of the coolest, subtle, and space-efficient storage solutions we’ve seen to date. The taller storage niche, located in the kitchen, served as a pantry:
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While two, side-by-side smaller niches served to hide laundry supplies in the hallway:
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Our favorite aspect of these clever storage solutions were the extremely low profile, almost secret aspect of the doors. If someone hadn’t opened one of the hall niches in front of us, we’d have never known it was there.
We don’t so much have a way to easily incorporate such an idea into your home, but let us know if you do!
Natural Colors & Textures
What we noticed as a theme throughout the home was the use of natural fibers, textures, and colors to compliment the home’s environmental aptitude.
In the bedroom, the use of organic bedding (and a future wall mural of a forest seen rolled up on the dresser) helped to further the sense of calm and serenity of the space:
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Even the reading nook in the corner used wicker furniture and a natural wool blanket to beckon you to curl up with a good book:
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Although neutrals seemed to dominate the most of the color scheme, we adored how punches of color (still inspired by nature) permeated here and there:
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There was also a lovely woven purple rug in the living room, but alas, we couldn’t get a good, clear shot of it. Nearly every room had some punch of color, which we think is paramount in keeping your home fresh and far away from eco-bland.
On a smaller scale, nearly all of the light fixtures had textured shades made of grass cloth, however, our favorite was the most subtle use of texture — rice paper as privacy film in the downstairs bathroom:
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It’s super easy to find natural textures to bring into your homes — whether you buy a new piece of furniture or add a new lampshade or throw pillows, nature-inspired and made textiles will help to boost your home’s crunchy vibe.
Reclaimed, Upcycled & Local
A great deal of the statement pieces in the home were obviously made from reclaimed or upcycled materials. Our favorite piece by far was this modern credenza:
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As well as the accessories on top of it! The branch scuplture was actual cast in metal, but you could easily replicate it with a downed branch from your yard and some spray paint. Of note was this upcycled wine bottle lamp (with a textured grass cloth shade):
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There are numerous lamp-wiring tutorials out there, and a piece like this brings simple style and elegance to any room. We especially loved the green hue to the glass.
Also, next to the orange chair in the living room was a wooden stool made from a fallen tree:
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We love that it’s been sanded smooth, yet left raw. It may not be as child/pet friendly as some of you may require in your homes, but the look is effortless and will endure many more trend cycles.
We couldn’t help but notice the art throughout the home as well:
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An upstairs room was being utilized as an art studio, so it’s very possible the pieces were created by the homeowner. However, the area the Passive House is located in is notorious for its artists, so they may have been purchased in town. We appreciated how the subtle style and technique of the paintings added to the ambiance of the home.
A way to bring local art into your home is to visit your city’s galleries to accquaint youself with artists in your area. Attend art shows, go to your local art school or department and take a peek at the students’ works. Or, if you fancy yourself crafty, go to your local art supply store and take a crack at it yourself!
We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the Passive House, and we hope the owners will continue to be just as pleased with the home for many years to come!

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