Seeing Green? No, not the green-eyed monster, but eco-friendly decorating in your home. Also known as sustainable design or environmentally friendly decorating, using these products can have a healthy impact on people and the planet. Kathy Passarette of Long Island, NY-based Creative Home Expressions offers six simple tips for you to "go green":
- Kravet supports the beauty and health of our planet by offering fabrics that are eco-friendly and environmentally conscious. This involves the use of all-natural and sustainable yarns or recycled components. The Kravet Green Collection is made of 100% recycled polyester. These fabrics are woven and treated with no additional chemicals. Best of all, after years of enjoyable use, these fabrics are recyclable. To view this beautiful line of fabrics visit http://www.kravetgreen.com/. You can use these fabrics to re-upholster furniture, make pillows or for window treatments.
- Window treatments, such as bamboo shades are a naturally renewable resource that doesn't require pesticides. Window treatments can also work with your heating and cooling bills. Smith & Noble's honeycomb shades (also known as cellular shades) provide substantial insulation with little weight, keeping rooms warmer in winter and cooler in summer. These shades have 5 out of 5 stars for energy efficiency. Also available are solar shades, which provide UV protection to save your furnishings from fading and minimize glare on tv and computer screens. In sun-facing rooms they reduce heat transfer from outdoors, not only adding to your comfort, but reducing your air conditioning bills. These solar shades have 4 out of 5 stars for energy efficiency. Visit Smith and Noble at http://www.smithandnoble.com/.
- Light bulbs such as those by Phillips, which offer higher-end fluorescent bulbs, whether overhead lighting or task lighting that will cast a pure white or buttery glow rather than the harsh light of lower-end fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs can be screwed in just like regular bulbs and they last 10 times longer. Another option would be halogen bulbs; they produce more light and use less electricity. These bulbs cost more, but each halogen bulb last approximately 2-3 years.
- Flooring by FLOR not only has great designs to choose from, but it is a functional and versatile product. In the last 12 years, FLOR has reduced their manufacturing waste by 63% and greenhouse gas emissions by 56% worldwide. They also have an R&R Program (Return-Recycle) where they will arrange for your used carpet tiles to be picked up and shipped back to their mill, where the old tiles will be recycled into new product. You can view the many available options at http://www.interfaceflor.com/.
- Use EnergyStar appliances, such as energy-efficient dishwashers and refrigerators. EnergyStar qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models. If just one in 10 homes used EnergyStar qualified appliances, the change would be like planting 1.7 million new acres of trees.
- Use "green" paint and other finishing materials that have low or zero levels of VOC (volatile organic compounds), which means that the rate of their emissions or dissipation is as fast as possible. Paint companies such as Sherwin Williams' new Harmony line of paints, Olympic Paint and Stain and Benjamin Moore's Pristine EcoSpec offer zero VOC paints. Adding a color tint usually brings the VOC level up to 10 grams/liter, which is still quite low. Low VOC paints use water as a carrier instead of petroleum-based solvents. These certified coatings also contain no, or very low levels, of heavy metals and formaldehyde. Low VOC paints will still emit an odor until dry.
A little forethought put into your interior decorating plans can provide you with an environmentally friendly home with little effort. Kravet says it best with their Green slogan - "Reuse - Recycle - Redecorate".
For more information and tips, please visit http://www.creativehomeexpressions.com/.
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