Energy Efficient Interior Design Energy sensitive interior design is the designing and planning of rooms and the specification of materials with the intention of reducing energy consumption in a home. Energy conscious occupants need ways to make their homes thermally comfortable while reducing energy consumption. This approach can be applied to new and older homes. Storage of solar heat occurs in a dense mass materials like concrete, brick and water.
Most mass materials are hard and reflect sound.
Combining the hard thermal mass with a large expanse of window glass gives you many sound reflecting surfaces. Therefore, if not absorbed by proper materials, noise can become a problem. Furniture design should enhance air circulation, and furniture placement should allow maximum exposure of the thermal mass to the sun. The lightness or darkness of a color affects whether it can absorb or reflect heat and light. Generally, light values which are tints of a hue such as beige, pink or cream are used to reflect heat from a lightweight thermal mass, such as furniture or ceilings, to a more efficient mass that stores the heat, such as a brick wall.