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Loading...Great Green Solutions to 5 Common Design Mistakes
- Robyn Lawrence
- July 31, 2011
- 7:30 am
- 54 comments
At the height of our consumer binge (not so long ago), marble and granite seemed to be on every homeowner’s wish list. Ubiquitous in high-end housing, marble and granite require a lot of energy to produce and transport and require constant maintenance. And, according to the designers and contractors who participated in this week’s eLocal Blog-off, they’ve lost their luster. Marble and granite are the top two design mistakes cited in “5 Design Mistakes to Avoid Making in Your Home,” a compilation of answers to this week’s blog-off.
The experts say: Don’t use marble; it chips and stains and isn’t as durable as people think. Granite, which must be imported from far away, often needs to be resealed annually.
May we suggest: Check out Natural Home & Garden’s Resource Guide for environmentally friendly countertops made from recycled, reclaimed or natural materials. My personal favorite is Icestone, a composite made from 100 percent recycled glass.
Photo courtesy of Icestone
The experts say: People are afraid of using color, and they fall into a “safe” dull color palette that can become oppressive. Take a risk with some brights and whites.
May we suggest: Check out the deep, rich no-VOC turquoise hues from Olympic Paint that former Natural Home & Garden associate editor Kim Wallace chose for her living room. Healthy paint comes in every color! If that leaves you confused, check out Rebecca Taksel’s excellent article, “5 Steps to a Perfect Pallette.”
Olympic offers a wide array of rich colors. Photo by Kim Wallace
Former Natural Home & Garden associate editor Kim Wallace narrowed her choices to these four turquoise hues. Photo by Kim Wallace
Read more: Eco-friendly tips, Green Home Decor, Guidance, Home, Household Hints, Lawns & Gardens, Materials & Architecture, design advice, green home, healthy paint, Home, home design, kitchen countertops, natural materials, paint, ponds
Robyn Lawrence
Robyn Griggs Lawrence is editor-in-chief of Organic Spa Magazine, an eco-lifestyle magazine that bridges spa wisdom with green living. Through print, online and phone apps, Organic Spa Magazine offers expert advice and inspiration on sustainable health and wellness, beauty and skin care, fashion and travel.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
I love working iwth fresh flowers. Thank you.
great article
Thank you for this information, I shall pass it on to my partner as she loves flowers :-)
Gorgeous flowers.
Pretty!
54 comments
+ add your owngreat ideas, thanks for the advice
thanks.
@Heather G: It is just heartbreaking, as you say, to see perfectly beautiful and irreplaceable materials being lost this way. Such unnecessary waste. Sort of like war. I believe Ignorance must be the Root of all Evil. It betrays itself every time. My sympathies.
nice
looking at some updates and thanks for the green tips...
of course reducing is better than replacing completely...
I cannot afford to make any of these changes even with the green tax reimbursement because it is still way beyond my budget. I will live with what I got!
Thanks Robyn!~
I've always loved marble - I love it's timeless good taste. It makes me think of the exquite Italian villas and their beauty which lasts for generations.
A few years ago I rented an apartment in West Vancouver. Originally the buildings were very up-market with doormen but with the passing of the years, things changed.
I still physically feel shock and pain at what some up-start designer did to the foyer. They hired demolishers to remove the marble and being ignorant, they chopped it up and dumped it - not even realizing its worth and the possibility of recycling. I was so distraught, I established the current value of the marble at some $30,000 for the materials. That only upset me more, because the current day replacement would be inferior.
Some people have no understanding of value, good taste and the timelessness of marble. The bright upstart - no doubt with a 2-week interior design certificate - replaced the marble with tiny, cheap-looking glass tiles that are normally used for tiling in bathrooms. They kept chipping and their glass edges scratched people - more fell off and the colours were dreadful and dreary. There were endless complaints by residents and an array of unflatering comparisons.
All of us have different cultural values - my despair was further affected when the designer told me that "marble is out of fashion!" Elegant Italian designers would shed tears of despair.
Thank you!
Love the info on Icestone. I'll keep that in mind if we ever have to build again.
We have a synthetic solid surface in the kitchen - in cheerful white - and since it isn't something that recycles well, I'll stay green by keeping it forever, and if the cabinets beneath them collapse, I'll re-purpose it. I always thought it would useful as window sill material, table tops, back splash material, coasters, workbench tops, etc.
I'm trying to convince dh that we should change from a toxic regular bed for sleeping to fair-trade, cotton Mayan hammocks. They really cradle the body, preventing hot spots, are wonderful in hot weather especially (just add a quilt for winter), are super portable, lovely.
So many healthier paint choices - perfect for living minimally in a joyfully colored space.
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