Sustainable Home: Practical projects, tips and advice for maintaining a more eco-friendly household

by Christine Liu

Sustainable Home is a stylish, inspirational and practical guidebook to maintaining a more environmentally friendly household.

Sustainable lifestyle blogger and professional Christine Liu takes you on a tour through the rooms of your home – the living area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom – offering tips, tricks and 18 step-by-step projects designed to help you lead a more low-impact lifestyle. Whether its by making your own toothpaste, converting to renewable energy sources, reducing your consumption of plastic, growing your own herb garden or upcycling old pieces of furniture, there are numerous ways – both big and small – to make a difference. 

With environmental issues at the forefront of global politics, the desire to make small changes on an individual level is on the rise; this book will guide anyone hoping to make a difference, but who perhaps don’t know where to begin.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Self Help, Sustainability, Lifestyle, Reference, Interior Design

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2018

About the author

Christine Liu is author of the blog and YouTube account 'simply by christine', a diary and guide to living simply and sustainably. Her education in industrial and packaging technology, coupled with her and career experience in packaging sustainability at Cisco Systems led her to share her lifestyle through this website and most recent book, Sustainable Home. Inspired by the beauty of necessity of simple living, she hopes that her viewers will be as encouraged to better their own lives and the planet they live on.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

As other reviews have already noted, this is beginner stuff only. Most of it boils down to buying local, using less plastic, cutting back on animal products, using fewer artificial chemicals, repairing and re-purposing, composting, minimalism, and buying second-hand instead of new. All pretty much common sense. But I guess plenty of people still need to hear it.

Beautiful, high-quality book, though.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing really making this book about sustainability are the figures dropped off without contextual elaboration like you're having a conversation with a work colleague who feels they're well-educated on a subject after watching last night's news report on it.
Some notes:
If 20% of energy consumption is by private consumers....then that means 80% of energy consumption is corporate waste. While yes, you can take steps to reduce your consumption to /prevent/ waste, it doesn't mean inherently using energy is wasteful. It means that 80% of energy use is largely waste and is going unchecked because it's being consumed by industrial corporations.
"Meat production causes deforestation and contributes to loss of biodiversity," sure -- so does the industrialized agriculture of vegan staple-crops like soy and quinoa. Coffee is directly contributing to deforestation in the Amazon. Also, American ranchers are being allowed - by lawmakers who are taking subsidies from said ranchers - to graze on public lands, like your national parks and endangered prairies. The issue is equal parts meat production and garbage lawmakers that need to be publicly held accountable.
You cannot ethically link minimalism to sustainability. It's blatantly exclusionary of lower-income individuals. More eloquent people have written up thorough reports on how minimalism is a glorified rhetorical war on the working class; this book is not a book on sustainability, it is a eurocentric minimalist manifesto marketed toward the well-meaning consumer -- ie exactly what it says it hates.

You should read Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson instead. At least she acknowledges that it is a struggle and the system is rigged against you.

[Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

A primer on how to lead a more ecologically-driven life. Christine Liu leads her reader through particular rooms and spaces of the house, explaining how to make them more green and sustainable. She discusses ideas such as using less electricity, being more mindful of what we bring into the house (ranging from clothes to furniture), considering fixing things instead of throwing them away, decluttering the house in order to minimize needless possessions. There is also a number of recipes (for food as well as for eco-friendly washing products), all surrounded by beautiful pictures.

This is a perfect book for someone who is only beginning to consider their carbon footprint and the repercussions that our actions can have on the natural environment. Unfortunately, I would say it is less useful for an advanced user (so to speak), as it doesn't really go beyond the classic ideas for becoming more green (and it also repeats some of the pieces of information from chapter to chapter). This is not to say that it's a bad book, just that a beginner will get more out of it than someone who has already done their research into living in a more ecological manner. Nonetheless, it has to be said that the more books about living a more sustainable life are out there, the better, as their presence on the book market increases their chances of finding new audience, as of yet unfamiliar with the concepts.

[Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully designed book! I loved all those gorgeous photographs - my inner minimalist was so happy whilst browsing throughout this book.

I found the book's recipes to be clearly instructed and very easy to follow. I wholeheartedly agree with the author that sustainability is a lifestyle and I think we can achieve it via making small yet mindful daily steps.

I would recommend Sustainable Home to anyone, who is rather new on this subject, and who would like to find out more about it.

It is a perfect beginner's guide and will make a lovely present to anyone who is starting to explore this field.

I received a free digital copy of this book courtesy of Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank both the author and the publish for allowing me to read a copy of this lovely book, I really appreciate it.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a nicely designed book with beautiful minimalist-style photographs.
For beginners, it would be a great guide, with lots of tips on how to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, as well as recipes and instructions to make some things yourself. I really want to try the cashew milk recipe, it sounds delicious!
However, if you already are into sustainability, I don't think it would teach you anything new. For me, it was a nice, pretty book, but I didn't learn much as I already know all these things.

So, great for beginners, but not the best for the connoisseur.

Disclaimer - I received a free digital copy of this book courtesy of Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 5 stars due to the aesthetic of this book. It was gorgeous.

[Lanathes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Túto knihu mi trvalo veľmi dlho dočítať. Je to asi tým, že mi nepriniesla nič nové, je poňatá veľmi všeobecne. Jediné nové info pre mňa boli štatistické čísla, ktoré som aj tak po čase začala preskakovať, pretože si ich tak či tak nezapamätám.
Pozitívum je, že sa snaží priniesť osvetu a taktiež tipy, ako sa správať vo svojej domácnosti ekologicky, ale bohužiaľ sú opäť veľmi všeobecné. Väčšina ľudí, ktorí sa o tému zaujímajú, majú už všetky tieto tipy za sebou. Treba ale povedať, že niektoré z "projektov" ako ich autorka nazýva, sú celkom prínosné - je ich tam však len 18 a všetky sú ľahko dohľadateľné na nete.

Čo ma však neuveriteľne iritovalo na celej knihe je práve jej neekologickosť. Je síce z recyklovaného papiera, ale hrubého jak kostolné múry, s okrajmi niekedy aj 5cm a textu je tam tak tretina celej knihy. Zvyšok sú celostranové fancy obrázky typu: lúka, kravy, more, ruka držiaca vešiak, ruka držiaca banán, ruka držiaca tašku, kefka v pohári, kaktus, ruka držiaca žiarovku, ruka držiaca nabíjačku... Ku koncu knihy som už len listovala obrázkami.

Ak sa niekto naozaj zaujíma o tému Zero Waste, určite by som odporučila radšej Beu Johnson a jej Zero Waste Home.

[Vendula Hrubá · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although some of the tips and steps to a sustainable lifestyle were for absolute beginners, I have to give it five stars, because I learned some pretty shocking and interesting facts about the enviroment. And recipes and diys were a nice surprise. Also, thanks to this book, I started following Christine Liu (the author) on social media and learned more, which is great. Overall, a really cool book.

[By Jaji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dnes sa na nás valia eko postupy snáď z každej strany. Je pravda, že som šetrila prírodu skôr intuitívne, ale nikdy som tomu nevenovala hlbšiu pozornosť. Kupovala som úsporné žiarovky a spotrebiče, nenechávala som dlho zažnuté, separovala som odpad a pri umývaní zubov som vypínala vodu.
Nedávno sa mi vďaka známej dostala do rúk kniha Eco-friendly domov. Netajím sa tým, že o pár týždňov sa sťahujem do vlastného a rozhodla som sa preto žiť ešte zodpovednejšie. Táto kniha je návodom skôr pre úplných ekozačiatočníkov (čiže pre mňa ????) a poviem vám, poriadne mi otvorila oči.
Kniha je členená do niekoľkých dôležitých kapitol (konkrétne je radená podľa izieb v byte alebo dome), pričom nás sprevádza veľmi poučný a zrozumiteľný text, kvalitné fotografie a kopec receptov či nápadov, čo sa môže robiť lepšie a ekologickejšie. Nie všetky návody a rady vám môžu sadnúť, ale doma už máme v zásobníku na vodu závažie a s maminkou sme si nakúpili vrecúška na ovocie a zeleninu, ktoré môžete vidieť na fotke.
Kniha ma oslovila najmä preto, že nemusím byť nutne eko práve ja (ako to mnohí nazývajú), ale môj domov a pevne verím, že taký bude.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely photos and practical tips in this slim volume. I specifically saved her recommendations on creating a sustainable, slimmed down capsule wardrobe, making your own body butter, and making your own lip balm. It was also good to see how much I'm already doing at home to help with the environment and sustainability.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood dreams of Little House

After this book I am all set, just need my Michael Landon my Pa pretty fun book. I liked your recipes for toothpaste and for the aloe gel and the lip balm. This inspires me to take better steps and living a minimalistic sustainable lifestyle. At least baby steps.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book full of many useful and interesting tips and project on how to live eco-friendly.
I really appreciated them and hope to be able to try some of them soon.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

[brooklenn leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the right information in one place! The pictures alone are beautiful enough to make it a worthwhile read!

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty hardback with pretty picture but learnt nothing new and nothing I haven’t read before in other more well informed books.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping for more projects for making/upcycling things

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book with some really good DIY projects and interesting information, and packed with beautiful pictures!
Recommend it to any experienced or newbie to the sustainable movement

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sustainable Home by Christine Liu

Live simply, sustainably and responsibly. Think about your impact on earth and how you can make your footprint delicate rather than a big stomp. I didn’t learn anything new but did enjoy seeing how this author has incorporated some ideas that will allow less waste and better utilization of the earth’s abundance.

Topics included:
* Living: minimalism, energy, furniture and indoor plants
* Kitchen: sustainable foods, plant-based foods, food waste, cooking equipment and techniques
* Bedroom: closets, repair * repurpose clothing, sustainable sleep
* Bathroom: toothpaste, body care, haircare, water waste, cleaning materials
Outdoor: greening the workplace, dining out, going places, taking action

Some ideas discussed and questions to ask yourself:
* do you need it?
* can you buy something used?
* can you fix it?
* can you repurpose it?
* can you purchase from a sustainable company instead?
* decluttering
* how to decrease waste produced
* what to use instead of toilet paper, plastic, etc
* making cleaning products, body-care items and other items at home

Some interesting tidbits that would be interesting to try to incorporate into my life though it might not be easy where I live – not sure I can do many if any here in Lebanon but will give some a try.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing-White Lion Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

More proof that not every blog should be turned into a book.

I was expecting a book about how to cut down on waste inside the home and better ways to clean without using products that are harmful to the environment. Instead, it's one of those insufferable blogs with lip balm recipes begging to be pinned on Pinterest. Oh wait, the author IS a blogger. I felt like if I tapped the photos, it would take me to Anthropologie's website. This book feels targeted towards middle-class millennial yuppies who may have a barely-passing interest in being "eco friendly" and have been living under a rock because the only useful info has been repeated incessantly everywhere for nearly two decades. It's also padded beyond belief, leaving little substance- yet another book that could've been a pamphlet. The formatting is terrible, with topics that should be in one section shoved ahead in another, and the author bounces around from one thing to another and it completely lacks cohesion. For example: in a section on cooking tools she suddenly flips back to energy usage and then a recipe, which takes up **10 pages**. Is it a cookbook? Is it a treatise on environmental waste? Is it about eco-cleaning products? Is it another Marie Kondo? MAKE UP YOUR MIND. There's no resource list, and all these topics that she does go into are just statistics (some are blanket exaggerations) with no sources cited to back any of it up. Bad form. It's like the editor didn't give a shit, either.

If you really want to learn how to cut down on plastic and chemical and food waste in your home, make your own cleaning products, and save your clothing, get Nancy Birtwhistle's Clean and Green. That book actually showed me how to eliminate all the cleaning chemicals in my home, clean everything in and outside my home, get any stain or odor out of everything, and save a ton of money while doing it.

If you want to keep reading....
The big things that really were so, so wrong:

- Minimalism: she goes on and on about it, (making some salient points on a few things, I'll admit) but the whole concept of minimalism stems from the wealthy as an interior design choice and it really doesn't have anything to do with sustainability. In fact, it's specifically exclusionary of low income individuals. See also sustainable furniture- sure it's a nice thought, but that supposed sustainable chair is going to be financially impossible for people on a low income. Not helpful.

- Eating vegan/vegetarian: see above regarding class/financial privilege. Plus, many vegetarian crops are just as bad for the environment as meat: soy, almonds, coffee, quinoa (that particular one has ruined the livelihoods of small farmers in South America once it became a "fashionable" food fad). She lists to eat more tofu as if the average person can afford to buy such an expensive product, when a cut of meat 10 times the size of that block of tofu is the same price, not to mention that not everyone has access to Asian food stores to buy the cheaper option that uses no plastic packaging. Big cities like San Francisco? Sure. Oklahoma? Yeah, no. Cattle ranching is ruining land because governments both local and federal let the ranchers use public land for it. There was a better way to go about the food section and she completely bungled it.

- Grow your own food: Great idea! Except all she covers is a shabby chic planter box for your herbs and how to grow celery leaves from the stump of a head of celery. She fails to mention that celery is a very slow-growing and difficult crop for a beginner home gardener and that the fun little science project in your window could end up growing mold before it actually grows more celery. What she could have covered is container crop gardening, seed saving from your produce and seed sharing, best food choices when you're low income and/or dependent on food banks, how to shop at open markets to get better deals...there's so many topics. She covers none.
A food scrap that you absolutely can grow in your window is scallions, by saving the white ends and just barely keeping the roots covered in water, you'll have fresh tops within a week.

- Grocery store: reusable bags for everything, including produce? Never mentioned. Says to keep foodstuffs in jars instead of plastic. Well, where's all that Tupperware gonna go then? That's right, the landfill. Use what you have, do not go out and buy new stuff which is exactly what she says in an earlier chapter, but then goes back on that several times. Tips on eliminating plastic wrap and bags? Well, beeswax wraps are mentioned, which are terribly expensive, but instead of showing you how to make your own, she offers up a pickle recipe instead. Look, making your own pickles is nice, but this is supposed to be a book on making an eco-friendly home, not canning. Plus pickles are cheap, healthy, and you can reuse the jars for storage. See what I did there?

- Clothing: bamboo is fine for the earth! Well, the plant is, but as a textile? It's nowhere near the level of sustainable manufacturing that she claims it to be. The chemicals used in the process of turning bamboo into a fiber and then a fabric, like caustic soda and carbon disulfide are highly toxic and a risk to human health. On the flip side, denim is not as bad as she claims- *fast* denim is, the kind with added synthetic materials (check the label), but that old-fashioned cotton denim? Practically indestructible, can easily be mended, and will last for actual generations. No joke. With quality denim, you're not buying multiple pairs every year, like you would with those bamboo legging she mentions, which get holes if you look at them sideways. Mending is barely covered, and then as "if you don't know how, pay someone to do it". WTF? There's loads of mending books out there that can easily be gotten from a library- I know, because I've read four of them this year, not to mention the resources on the Internet. But since no resources were provided, I'm assuming she pays someone to mend her stuff or just doesn't.

- Cleaning, Bathing, ETC: Dropped. The. Ball. Eco laundry washing options are hinted at, barely. But hey! Here's a recipe for dyeing your shirt with beans! Coconut oil toothpaste? Bad for you and no studies to back it up. Those hulls with saponin? Expensive and hard to find! Guessing she didn't google saponin, because she would've learned that a cheap, sustainable, and easier source of it is ivy leaves, which also whiten your whites better than bleach. She didn't cover sodium percarbonate or washing soda or vegetable glycerin. The only cleaning agent recipe listed is diluting vinegar with water. That won't work for your toilet in a hard water area, honey. And diluted vinegar won't sanitize or remove built-up grease, you need rubbing alcohol for that. Given that she doesn't go into any depth at all concerning what products to clean or do laundry with, I'm assuming she's a hypocrite and still buys anything marked "eco friendly" (spoiler alert: most of them really are not eco friendly) or just has a maid clean her home.

[Halls · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by White Lion Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

The Sustainable Home is a great starting point and manual for those who want to make changes that will have a positive impact on the environment.

The book is filled with bright, clean photos and complemented with practical advice that everyone can easily utilize. I view it as a catch all for those interested in decluttering, minimalism, sustainability, and the environment. The topics are discussed in baseline terms, and the author suggests that we view sustainability as a lifestyle (rather than a movement) that is highly achievable by making small, mindful changes. It is filled with many great recipes and suggestions for alternatives to mass produced products. As a vegan of six years and someone heavily invested in zero-waste and eco-friendly practices, I would highly recommend this book to those looking for a place to start their own journey. However, I would have liked to see citations for the various data noted throughout the book so that we could read the studies the author mentioned.

[Casey Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent intro of you know nothing about sustainability and the challenges facing our planet and society.

However, if you are a couple strides into the journey, some info can feel obvious or overly simple. There is also a fair amount of doom ‘n gloom statistics that feel heavy handed. Very real and all just a bit much for a book that promises mostly tips and advice.

It’s a beautiful and well curated book for sure. Borrow it from a friend or your library and get to work.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this beautifully designed book as a gift as a tool for my journey to live more sustainably. However, if you already been implementing to live more eco-friendly, this is not a book for you. But, if you are just starting out, it is a wonderful book with lots of information and tips. It is such an easy read and is aesthetically very pleasing to the eye.

Even if I did learn some new things, which I am excited about, I do have an issue with how the author talks about chemicals without the necessary basic knowledge of chemistry. As a former chemistry student, this concerns me because talking about it without knowledge can be dangerous and creates unnecessary fear. It is better to educate one other on how to handle harmful ingredients than to avoid them altogether. Mind you, this is not a problem solely to this author, but with many other writers, bloggers, YouTubers, or other influences talking about sustainability as well that I have encountered.

The author talks about harmful or toxic chemicals while promoting natural or safe ingredients, failing to see that these natural ingredients are chemicals as well (water, vinegar, etc. are all chemicals). This creates the incorrect belief that all lab-made products/chemicals are bad and all-natural ingredients (chemicals) are safe. Snake venom is an all-natural compound, but I bet you wouldn't consume it just because it is extracted from nature. Both lab-made and natural chemicals can be harmful to you, but it is all about the amounts (the dose) that you take. As an example, water can be deadly if you drink too much of it.

If you want to learn more about this, there is a great Ted Talk 'The future is bright as chemistry' by Andrew Parsons, who is a Professor in Chemistry at the University of York. He has a background in organic chemistry, particularly the synthesis of organic compounds. So let's say he has the 'license' to talk about chemicals. In 16 minutes, he explains the basics of chemistry in a very concise and fun way. I hope you will give it a watch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qPvG...).

The second issue I had with the book is kind of related to my first one. Not all 'safe/all-natural' alternatives to these 'toxic/harmful' chemicals are for everyone. Take someone like me who has dry skin and dealing with eczema. Some of the so-called harmful ingredients are some things I need to keep my eczema or dry skin in check. An example is vaseline (petroleum jelly), which the author did not mention as harmful in her book, but other influencers do). Another example is that the author and others recommend the use of essential oils to add a nice and 'natural' smell to your clothes or cleaning products. This is something I stay far away from because it triggers my eczema. Both are examples that you should not just mindlessly use these presumably safe alternatives. Do whatever suits your health and lifestyle! Also, usage of these given alternatives can be harmful to you because again, it is all about the amounts you consume.

Other than that, I still think it is a good book for beginners. The book is well written, and it is easy to see that the author has quite some knowledge about living more sustainably. But I do wish that the author, and most influencers for that matter, would take the time to give themselves a crash course in chemistry before actually writing a book (or blog post) about the topic.

[Markie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sustainable Home" is a comprehensive and inspiring guidebook that offers practical solutions for creating an environmentally friendly household. Christine Liu, a sustainable lifestyle blogger, provides readers with a tour of various rooms in their homes, presenting tips, tricks, and step-by-step projects to help reduce their ecological footprint.

One of the book's strengths lies in its holistic approach to sustainability, addressing every aspect of home life. Liu covers a wide range of topics, including decluttering, minimalism, plant-based foods, repairing clothing, and reducing plastic consumption. By tackling these issues, she empowers readers to make positive changes both big and small.

What sets this book apart is its emphasis on actionable projects. Readers are guided through 18 step-by-step initiatives that enable them to implement sustainable practices in their daily lives. Whether it's making homemade toothpaste, transitioning to renewable energy sources, cultivating an herb garden, or upcycling furniture, Liu offers a variety of creative ideas that cater to different interests and skill levels.

The book's accessible writing style makes it easy for anyone to grasp the concepts and ideas presented. Liu's expertise and passion shine through in her informative discussions on the importance and positive impact of sustainable living. She not only provides practical guidance but also offers a compelling case for why individual actions matter in the face of global environmental challenges.

In addition to its informative content, "Sustainable Home" stands out for its stunning visuals. Specially commissioned photography enhances the reading experience and appeals to the style-conscious readership, reminiscent of popular magazines like Kinfolk and Cereal. The aesthetic appeal adds another layer of inspiration to the book, making it a delightful and visually engaging read.

With the growing global focus on environmental issues, "Sustainable Home" fills a crucial gap in the market. It serves as a comprehensive resource for individuals who are eager to make a positive impact but may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about where to start. Liu's guidance provides a roadmap for those looking to create a more sustainable home and lifestyle.

Overall, "Sustainable Home" is a must-read for anyone seeking to adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle. It offers practical advice, informative discussions, and captivating visuals that make the journey towards sustainability accessible and inspiring. Christine Liu's expertise and passion shine through, making this book an invaluable resource for individuals ready to make a difference, one step at a time.

[Christian Shelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when slow living was all the rage, pre-pandemic, and how bloggers and Instagrammers almost seemed to compete with each other by sharing how empty their houses were. I admit that it was easy to think that I could be so minimal with my belongings because I'm naturally an organized person. Not only did I fail spectacularly, I realized that minimalism as a goal in itself didn't quite lead to all of the results it promises. This is where Christine's book and her content challenged me (and which God used to convict me); instead of chasing less, chasing better could have a more lasting impact—though minimalists would say that chasing less is chasing better, which makes sense as they can go hand-in-hand and Christine does have sections on minimalism. If anything, I came to see that belongings are representative of our inner values and can reveal our vices, such as greed and gluttony. By covering everything from our living environments to what we eat and even how we travel, Sustainable Home provides practical and guilt-free suggestions that can help Christians to be better stewards of our homes and world.

Christine's background in packaging sustainability, coupled with her gentle words and faith, differentiates her from the other books I have read around sustainability where there are undertones of anger and shame. Instead, her approach through her book is to show what is possible and that the actions we take do matter as an expression of our faith. Her witness has been profound and her voice in advocating for God's creation stands out. She not only believes in this important work, she also lives it out (her wedding to Peter still stands out in my mind, years later!). Though Christians may be divided on current environmental affairs, I would say that becoming more sustainable in my life has impacted how I view things and how I desire to extend stewardship to other parts of my life. As an introductory tome to sustainable living, I would recommend this book as its calming content can bring rest to a weary soul that is bombarded by so many messages in this world.

Review link: https://christianshelves.blogspot.com...

[Ilana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sustainable Home by Christine Liu takes every part of the house and recommends, for each and every room, solutions and recipes - not always food-related - aimed at creating a household with a higher awareness for the environment. Such an awareness means many things and the complexity of the book allows choices. Don't expect to achieve all the processes described overnight, but at least you can start somehow. For instance, by separating the garbage, adding more indoor plants to your home or even creating your own herb garden, repairing and/or repurposing clothes instead of just buying piles of unuseful outfits. The most complicated for me was the part about evaluating and eventually creating your own furniture, but with a bit of patience, this part of the plan can also work smoothly.

At a certain extent and provided the limits of decency and moderation are maintained, Sustainable Home ofers tips and simple ideas for a different, less consumerist kind of life. It offers to the reader the option of picking up her or his own choices and adapting to his or her own household needs. I will not end up preparing my own toothpaste - except purely by curiosity for the challenge of doing it - or start creating my own furniture, but would prefer to make more balanced and realistic purchase decisions, based on my needs and not on the latest product trends (except books, obviously).

Recommended if you are looking for a New Year's resolution or if you need more structure and aim in organising your medium or long-term decluttering plans.

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Georgianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's probably not fair to give this book only three stars. If you're new to zero waste or sustainable living then you'll probably get much more out of it. But since we've been following the Quaker testimony of simplicity or a lifestyle of voluntary simplicity or any other term you want to put on a walk gently on the earth lifestyle for a zillion years (well, since high school which was back in the '70s) then this book has nothing new to add. Actually, the best thing I got out of reading this was going to Christine's blog then following her links to reading the Bible -- which, as unprogrammed Quakers, we don't take as the final or definitive or only source of divine wisdom and really barely ever read -- but my daughter and I decided to follow Lent this year. Following a link from a link from Christine, I found a list of things to give up for Lent. I chose some typical ones (quit complaining!!), but one was to donate, or throw away if not useable by anyone, 40 things during the 40 days of Lent. That gave me more incentive and reason to let go of some things that I've been holding on to "just in case" or because my sister made it for me when she was 9 in 1978 than the book did. And my daughter and I are also fasting and abstaining during Lent, which is making us more aware of our food habits. As vegans, I think we eat healthy but there is some food waste and maybe too much snacking.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. Christine seems like a really nice person and I'm sure her easy to read book will help others who are just starting the journey.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful introduction to having a sustainable home for beginners and the already eco minded . The author has included room by room descriptions and helpful hints. I loved the recipes she included and the healthy home advice. I went chemical cruelty free in my home about 20 years ago and have always enjoyed expanding my knowledge of being sustainable in addition to chemical free and cruelty free home. This expands our knowledge and is a great teaching tool .
This is a great practical guidebook to maintaining a more environmentally friendly healthy household. The author has step-by-step projects for creating and maintaining a more low-impact lifestyle that you can feel good about incorporating into your home. There is so much information here that you will find yourself inspired . I enjoy starting many of the projects the author has here such as tooth powder, ( so healthy!) kitchen tips ( so helpful) and making our own products. I make my own lotions and was excited to find new recipes here that I can incorporate into my home.
I highly recommend this book for everyone that wishes to be sustainable, environmentally correct in their home and chemical free. This is a great book to give for gifts !
Thank you for the ARC that does not influence my personal review.

[Anjana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very lucky to get a chance to read this book as my 'wish' was approved when I requested for an advance copy on NetGalley.

This is an interesting book which takes a very comprehensive view of how our day-to-day life can be made sustainable. It tackles an average life in sections, starting from one room in the house and moving on from there. There is a lot of background information provided about sustainable living in general and a few tips that we could adopt to move in that direction. It even tackles minimalistic ideas.

However, I was expecting something different from the book, there is only one recipe/idea in each section and the rest of it is (interesting) information which would be more useful for someone who has only just recently begun the journey in this direction. I knew a lot of what was being conveyed so personally it was not as applicable as it will be for someone with a home, and who only recently started to consider the implications of their consumption. Though I give it only three stars, I still recommend it to those who have started having thoughts about how their lives can be a lesser imposition on our planet and on others around us.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this book on my wishlist for a while. The book is aesthetically pleasing and easy to follow. It divides the sustainable home into four categories: living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom and there is also a fifth category that shares tips to be more sustainable when going out/eating out. I have some experience with being more sustainable but I found a lot of tips that I can apply in my home for an even better approach to sustainability. The author did a lot of research and talked about her own experiences becoming more sustainable. She shared cleaning tricks, what (not) to buy and what materials are organic and natural for example. I hope she will write more specific books in the future. But this particular book is perfect for those who just embarked on the journey towards a more sustainable future and also for those who need some inspiration . I wish I could gift this book to all my friends and acquaintances. I'm overall really impressed and I feel motivated to do even more for a sustainable future.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sustainable Home was a nice introduction into sustainable living. I liked how each section focused on an area in the house where sustainable and eco-friendly improvements could be made. I would consider myself a bit more knowledgeable than the average person in sustainability, so I didn’t find this book to be that informative since most of the tips were quite well known. Also, a couple of the “make your own” sections weren’t very effective, namely, the hairpin leg planter and terrarium. They weren’t the most sustainable how-tos (who really owns a spare set of hairpin legs?) and seemed like items that would be made to suit the aesthetic. In the end, I did learn a few new things that I am eager to implement in my lifestyle, so this was a worthwhile read.

I also find it mildly ironic that these books about sustainability are mass produced, often printed on glossy paper, and hardcover bound, but that isn’t the author’s fault.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sustainable Home has a gorgeous aesthetic, very reminiscent of Christine's YouTube videos -- simple, white, impeccably framed. The information is fairly basic, definitely targeted toward beginners. It focuses on individual actions that readers can take to reduce their personal impact on the environment, and is peppered with statistics that I wish had been cited or dated (considering this book was published before the COVID-19 pandemic, which I imagine changed some of them). Although I am a firm believer that one's individual impact can make a difference, I wish that this book had acknowledged that a significant percentage of the waste that is generated by a product happens upstream of the consumer -- during its manufacture by the company. Just because the deck is stacked against us, doesn't mean that the info here isn't worth reading, but that aspect could have been handled better than an offhand paragraph at the end of the book about political involvement and working with a team.