GREEN KITCHEN DESIGN – find your "shade of green"
by Karen Crorey-Dallafior, ASID, NCIDQ "The Queen of Green Design"
KC Interiors. Inc.
Today's kitchen is not simply for cooking, it performs many functions. It has
become the gathering place for family and friends, a place for kids to study and
an area to access the family computer. With so much time being spent there,
the impact to air quality, as well as water and energy consumption are becoming
important factors that contribute to our health and our carbon footprint.
Many homeowners would like to implement "green" into their kitchen designs but aren't sure how to
do it. As an advocate for green design, I believe you do not need to compromise and can infuse
luxury and good design with new earth-friendly technology. Goals for green kitchen design include
using rapidly renewable resources like bamboo, recycled products, low-toxicity finishes, regional
materials and appliances that conserve water and energy.
If your project is a renovation, consider a thoughtful demolition – Habitat for Humanity could reuse
old appliances and cabinets, or you could repurpose cabinets as storage in the garage or utility room.
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| Saxton Cabinetry available at Extraordinary Works |
CABINETRY
Quality counts, so select the best
cabinets you can afford since
a product’s lifespan is important to
its environmental impact. Saxton
Cabinetry, available at
Extraordinary Works, Suite 93,
is manufactured in nearby
Pennsylvania and is constructed
using 100% recycled core material
that's free of added urea
formaldehyde which can add toxins
to the air. Saxton cabinets are
LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) compliant
and come in a variety of attractive
styles and finishes.
APPLIANCES & FIXTURES
Check out the Energy Star website (www.energystar.gov) for ratings on appliances. Energy efficient
appliances not only save on your monthly energy bills but reduce the need for power plants that
pollute our environment. Consider your needs when choosing new appliances – do you need a 48"
oven or an extra-large refrigerator, or will smaller appliances suit your lifestyle?
FLOORING
Bamboo, cork, porcelain, stone, glass and concrete tiles are all great flooring choices when
considering environmental impact.
COUNTERTOPS
Ann Sacks, Suite 91 offers a fabulous
product for countertops, floors and walls
called Trend Q which contains between
32% and 72% post-consumer recycled
material. Colors range from neutral tones
to bright red and can either be applied
over an existing countertop or fabricated
new. Other options include a paper
composite material, bamboo, concrete
and quartz.
LIGHTING & VENTILATION
Locate work surfaces near natural light
sources and use compact fluorescent lights
which are four times more efficient than
incandescent. Operable windows with
cross ventilation are the single most energy
efficient way to remove vapors.
BACKSPLASH
A kitchen backsplash can be simple or artful,
using one type of tile or a combination of materials
for added interest. There are many different
environmentally-friendly backsplash materials
including porcelain, stone, glass, concrete and
metal. Luna tile from Ann Sacks, Suite 91 features
a metal portion consisting of 100% recycled
aluminum.
With more eco-friendly resources available you can
decide on your "shade of green" and express your
passion for both great design and the environment.
You now have the choice of great looking long-
lasting, high quality products that have the least
negative impact on the environment through their
energy usage, sustainability and effect on air quality.
To view a bio and additional work samples from Karen Crorey-Dallafior, click here. |
