Eco-friendly products are definitely part of what we're learning, but not all. The class is a broad spectrum of information, because if you think about it, there are a lot of ways you can be good to the planet. So many, in fact, that it's easy to personalize the idea of "green" to your own house and taste. Today I have some of my favorite ways to make it happen:
>> Work with what you have. There’s no sense in tossing something in the landfill just because it’s ugly. See if you can do a Tim Gunn on that business first. Take our kitchen cabinets, for example. Yeah, it would’ve been fun to rip them out and get fancy new ones, but there wasn’t anything wrong with them except the color. Now that we’ve painted them white, the room feels completely different and it was way easier than a remodel. Furniture is good for this category, too:
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>> Choose classic finishes. Not everything has to be classic, but going that direction for your major finishes will keep them in style for a long time—and you won’t feel the urge to rip them out in a few years. Things like flooring, countertops, and bathroom tile should be designed to last. You can always get trendy with accessories and artwork.
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>> Upgrade those appliances. Going back to number one, if all of your older models are still in good shape, you can wait them out. But if it’s time to buy, energy efficient models use significantly less water and electricity. It will be more money up front, but you’ll make it back in lower energy bills over time.
>> Bonus: Grow some vegetables. I’m bad at this and I envy people who can do it. Having a garden is great for your soil, plus it cuts down on energy that’s spent shipping produce around the country. If you aren’t able to grow anything yourself, hit up a local farmer’s market for produce. Buying local is always better than depending on things that are shipped in.
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These are just the tip of the iceberg. What green ideas are you using? Any specific products you dig? What about cleaning supplies? Or recycling tips? See, I could just keep going.
The cabinet looks great! I love local farmers market + fruit picking is also great! I use baking soda and vinegar a lot instead of harsh chemicals...it is amazing how wonderfully it works!
ReplyDeletewell about recycling...I think can do a whole blog post(maybe more)!
We dim our lights in the evening. It's good for you to adjust your eyes naturally as the light wanes, it signals to your body that sleep is coming, and it saves energy!
ReplyDeletePeople don't know what green design is? Well, I guess the design industry is still a mystery to a lot of folks. We can blame HGTV for that since most of what happens on that channel has little to do with interior design.
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, all good points here. This is a huge reason why we are leaving our kitchen as is for the foreseeable future. It was redone right before we moved in, and even if I would've picked different fixtures, cabinets, and countertops if I had been doing it all myself, it was all brand new. To rip that out immediately just because I would prefer a slightly different tone to my countertop is so incredibly wasteful. And, the remodel they did is just fine...they picked colors and finishes that are palatable to most people I think, and only someone as picky as me, in other words, a designer-haha, would want to change it. Anyway, the construction industry produces so much waste, I don't want to add to that unnecessarily, you know?
We do a lot of "green" things that are really just common sense. We've never run the dishwasher in this house, since there are only 2 of us and we don't cook a ton of big meals, most dishes can be washed quickly in the sink...saves a lot of water. That's not to say we won't ever use it, but for the 2 of us day to day, it's just not necessary right now.
I also don't use the dryer on most of my clothes; I hang them on a clothes rack or lay flat to dry on sweater racks. It makes your clothes last longer too (less wear and tear) and they won't ever shrink. Also, combine your laundry into as few loads as possible.
We didn't own a car for many years and walked as much as possible and took public transportation. I realize that's not an option for most people in this country. But there are things that everyone can do, like bringing your own bags to the grocery store, recycling as many materials as possible, buying secondhand or vintage whenever appropriate, conserving electricity, collecting rainwater outside to water plants. Also, don't leave chargers in the socket when you're not charging anything; some of them still pull electricity even when not hooked up. Along with that, obviously goes don't leave your computer on 24 hours a day when you only use it for one. Like I said, all common sense stuff.
It's really not hard to make a few small changes a day to minimize the negative impact on the environment.
I hear you about the kitchen. Our backsplash was put in last year by the previous owners, and while it's not my personal taste at all, it's fine. Ripping it out would be really wasteful, so I'm trying to make it work.
DeleteProps to you guys for not running the dishwasher. We use ours all the time.
Such a cool topic! We live in a very green concept townhouse - it has a LEED certification (http://www.usgbc.org/home) and it features radiant heated floors, we have car coop parking, significant stormwater detention on the site which
ReplyDeletemeans reduced storm flows from the property keeping the local streams healthy...the building itself is for staff and faculty of the adjacent university only, encouraging their employees to walk to work!!
Basically, I'm walking my talk ;) It feels good minimizing our footprint each and every day...bravo to you for furthering this concept in the world!
How cool about the certification! That could be something really fun to write about. I think I'll send you an email. :-)
DeleteYou helped us reuse tons of our old things when you designed our guest bedroom - we reuse lots of furniture and that's definitely apparent in the design of our home.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Green products, we've become absolutely sold by FLOR. They are the carpet tile company whose products are made form recycled plastics and old carpet. The designs and modular way to use them work perfectly for us - and the price is right too! I don't know if I'd ever really buy a regular rug again - at least not a large area rug.
I don't own a car! I do drive a car to get to my student teaching placement, but last year I biked 5 miles each way to and from work/school. I'm moving to Hawaii in December and have already convinced my man we don't need a second car - just another bike. It saves so much money and is far healthier!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, most of the 'green' things I do are because I enjoy them. I really like upcycling, for example. I love turning old things into cool, new things!
This is a great post, and how cool to be taking a green design class! Most of the items in our home are second hand or re-purposed in some way... I love this 'use what you have' way of thinking! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI don't do so well with the whole growing your own vegetables aspect either, but I'm all about classic pieces. The longer we can keep things like furniture and artwork, the better.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I live in a really small apartment, but still I managed to plant some veggies in the balcony this summer: we grew tomatees and lettuce, and also a bunch of different herbs that I use for cooking. It didn't save much money, but it felt great to eat own own things :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I loved your kitchen cabinet makeover, and that desk transformation is amazing! I made an attempt to grow some of my own veggies this year with mixed success. And we recycle.
ReplyDeleteAs people who grew up in the 30s used to say:
Use it up.
Wear it out.
Make it do, or
Do without.
I broadly interpret "making it do" to upcycling and DIY makeovers.
well, you know I'm all about repurposing and upcycling! :)
ReplyDeletegreat blog post Paige... and I LOVE the new look of your house (painted)
it's funny to me that you referred to it as mustard and ketchup..hahahah
gail
About half of the furniture in our apartment was brand new and then the other half were things I found at the thrift shop or antique store. Like the dresser I painted yellow for our bedroom was from a vintage shop.
ReplyDeleteI never think about being green but it's more like I'm being cheap and unique. I do like things I see in Target but then I get reminded of a. the price and b. that there are thousands of other people with the same item.
A wonderful post. I'm striving to grow my own vegetables without huge success but it is a very enjoyable pastime and when I do manage to grow something edible it tastes even better because I've grown it myself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the tips, everybody! You guys do a lot.
ReplyDeleteYay for green design! I don't know a ton about green home design, but I've worked in the eco-fashion industry long enough to assume that many of the same "rules" apply. Let me know if you ever want to talk about it! If you discover a serious interest in it, you should check out Green Festival. It's held in Chicago every year (and a few other cities too.) I used to vend my clothing line at the Chicago and San Francisco ones and they are full of cool information and lots of inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really cool class! I guess we're a little greener than we thought. We painted our cabinets as well. And I'll be reusing some furniture from around the house for my new studio including an old entertainment center and possible a curio cabinet.
ReplyDelete