Villa Decoration Handbook - Selection of Green Building Materials

Villa Renovation Handbook - Choosing Green Building Materials

If you want to avoid having too many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your home, the best principle is of course "prevention is better than cure." It’s best to request that decorators or furniture makers use materials free from VOCs before starting renovation and furniture selection.

Many people like to haggle when renovating their villas, always thinking about how to save money, but they don’t consider whether the materials provided by merchants for profit are healthy and safe. Health is an invaluable wealth; therefore, while bargaining, it's essential to specify the use of materials certified under various green building standards before the renovation starts. If you don't make such a request to interior designers or contractors, most of the materials used will contain VOCs exceeding the recommended upper limit.

Personally, I believe that the quality of renovation materials can be judged by slightly different standards depending on where they're used. For example, stricter standards should be applied to children's rooms and bedrooms, whereas for living rooms, which aren't used for extended periods, the standard can be slightly relaxed. However, the minimum standard should not fall below the health standards of green building materials.

Villa renovations emphasize luxury, but while pursuing high-end finishes, we must choose materials that are harmless to our health. Only then can we comfortably move in.