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Tonight I wandered by Home Depot to take a look at counter options & paints. This started me down a whole new challenging path when the helpful guy in the paint department explained why the only real "green" paint they have is Freshaire paint. The problem, it seems is that even quality brands with green paint lines, like Dunn Edwards or Behr, use standard colorants that increase the VOC levels. So low VOC paint is suddenly toxic, like the regular stuff, but you pay way more for it. Who knew & how long would it take a customer to discover this if not for this bit of insider information? Good idea to ask questions & do your shopping when the store is mostly empty!
I found a couple of other options this evening online. One I had found before but there is no dealer in our area. Mythic Paint is the choice of HGTV design star David Bromstad, but I'd have to buy little paint samples to try or drive 40 miles to the closest dealer. They also claim to have colorants with no VOC's though, so it might be worth it, with something like 1200 different colors. Freshaire is more limited.
Another option is Real Milk Paint which is a really old concept, like 200 years, with updated technology. This stuff claims to actually ABSORB carbon dioxide, so that's kind of amazing. One concern is that I noticed on a YouTube video about applying milk paint, that since it contains lime it's important to use gloves & protect your eyes & skin...hhmmm. Unfortunately, it too is hard to find in the area.
The search goes on! Share your ideas or resources if you know another good option. It's just amazing to me that everyone is talking about the importance of low or no-VOC products, but in all of Orange County there are no dealers for these alternative products. Humph!
Countertops...now that's another dilemna...more this weekend.
Enjoying the hunt...diana
Lightbulb moment: Green design is a vaste & expanding arena of often contradictory concepts. It strikes me as very odd that I didn't think of this before, since I've been trying to live an urban version of eco-friendly & sustainable...I thought. Yikes...so many qualities to weigh, & often the manufacturers aren't clear...but I have noticed how popular the COLOR green has become in marketing materials, so they KNOW we are beginning to equate that color, or a leaf in an ad as some form of safe, green alternative...ha! Green washing seems to be almost as popular as true green & sustainable efforts, so doing your homework is imperative.
So, the idea of something being sustainable does not necessarily equate to be non-toxic or beneficial to your family health. Nor does it also include energy efficient in it's use or production. Some companies make a sustainable product (e.g. from renewable resources like bamboo), but may have very low scores in their eco-friendly production or packaging. Most sources seem to agree that there is no perfectly green option in building...all materials have some impact on the environment by the simple act of being made or shipped to the customer. That makes it also important to invest in quality products that will last and not have to be replaced every few years.
So I've decided to make a list of my criteria for my eco-friendly kitchen & future projects, then set my own priorities. Take a look at my list & you might find it helpful to establish your own priority list before beginning your next renovation project.
Here's the list:
- Non-Toxic - using toxin-free materials that don't contribute to indoor air pollution or allergies, environmental illness or increase cancer risks
- Energy-Saving - conserve power, use natural sources like sunlight, reduce waste, re-use non-sustainable materials
- Sustainable - use materials certified sustainably forested or harvested
- Durable - products that will last the lifetime of the house
- Easy on the planet - non-polluting or destructive in their manufacture, shipping, installation
- Aesthetically pleasing & optimally functional -
I may add to this list, but for now it is quite the challenge finding the best options in each category. Did I mention economical? That may be the biggest challenge. Ahhh...but it IS fun...kind of like a treasure hunt!
More on my green quest for sustainable sanity soon...diana
Saturday, we had our 2nd appointment with the cabinet designer at DirectBuy. I have to say, they are so supportive of our desire to choose low toxin, sustainable products. We've decided on Pacific Crest cabinets. It's a company with a long standing green philosophy, as well as an overall positive approach to their employees and making a difference in their community. They use sustainably forested woods, and low toxin adhesives. And, the cabinets are BEAUTIFUL!
I also checked out a great web site for green building and signed up for their blog. You'll see the link on my blog list at right. There is so much to know about LEEDS and green building technology, so I'm hoping to make some connections who can point me in the right direction, instead of re-inventing the "green wheel". That is a big difference in the last few years...loads of resources and products out there. I think it is important to choose green products for our own health, but also to support businesses with integrity and commitment to quality and eco-friendly options.
I'm finding there will always be some tradeoffs. As my son says, with so many people in the world, it's impossible to have NO IMPACT, no matter what we do. It is possible to find the least negative impact, but sometimes the criteria of cost & aesthetics lead us to some compromise. Like granite...we love granite, and that may be our one big environmental compromise in this project.
Off to my Sustainable Business Leadership Council meeting. Lots of young entrepreneurs and designers who might have some good ideas for us.
Make it a great green day!
Diana
Here we are at day one...or in some ways, day 10,001! I started my journey to live green & healthier over 3 decades ago by changing to biodegradable laundry products & starting an organic garden.
Today is day one of my blog about our kitchen remodel! I plan to record the trials and tribulations, along with the fun and excitement of remodeling with the goal of creating a non-toxic, sustainable, green home. So, we start this year off with a bang! A new dream kitchen that meets our aesthetic & functional needs, and also includes eco-friendly products from ethical companies.
The first steps have already begun. We have piles of green decorating magazines and books. I'll share some of those specifics as we go along. Everything from avoiding waste during demolition, to choosing energy-wise lighting and low VOC paints. The more I study, the more I find complex decisions with pros and cons are involved. Yikes...no wonder the average consumer is overwhelmed!
