Interior
Green Products:
- Low V.olatile O.rganic C.ompounds
paints; paints with this designation have low or some time no V.O.C.'s
which are the organic solvents used
in standard paint formulations which serve as the carrier for paint
pigment. When paint dries, the odor smelled is from the evaporation of
VOC's used in the solvent vehicle and the tinting pigments.
Some of the more common VOC's
include formaldehyde and benzene. Pigment chemicals can include lead,
cadmium and chromium. The "fresh paint" smell we often
experience are VOC emissions from volatile chemicals like diethyl
phthalate and dibutyl. Oil based
paint has the highest level of VOC's. Exposure to VOC's can trigger
asthma attacks, create throat and eye irritation, nausea and headaches
among other health problems.
- Recycled content counters; there are a
couple of choices on the market that are more Green then others.
We prefer the Paperstone
counters which are made in the Pacific Northwest of 100% post-consumer
paper waste. They come in 11 colors (2 or 3 of those are not
100% post-consumer waste). We used them in our current
project and they are wonderful to maintain and very durable.
Another option is Squak Mountain,
also made in the Pacific Northwest out of 65% post consumer concrete
waste. Replacing a worn out or out-dated counter with one that s
Green is one way you can help the environment through reducing the
waste stream as well an saving the energy needed to mine stone.
- F.orest S.tewardship C.ouncil
certified wood products ranging from floor boards to plywood.
FSC certification means the product meets a strong set of requirements
for sustainability and environmental impact. We look for and
build furniture out of FSC certified plywood. Buying products
made from FSC certified wood means the products you are using were
responsibly harvested and replaced.
- Ikea; yes, due to the stringent European
codes, all Ikea kitchens and baths as well as bookcases, desks etc are
considered Green. They do not use any chemicals that are
considered harmful to your health, ie formaldehyde etc. Most of
the Ikea products have a sustainability section on the description tag
in the showroom. Green kitchens can be fun and affordable!
- Furniture; the hardest thing to find up
to this point is Green furnishings. Hard wood pieces are not to
hard to find, however upholstered pieces are another story. We
are constantly on the look out for Green soft furnishings. Crate
and Barrel has 1 line including a sofa and an arm chair. There
are a few other options, from small companies around the country.
- Other Green flooring options; besides
FSC certified wood floors, there are several other options
available. Cork and Marmoleum are natural and sustainable
products available in several installation options including planks, square
foot squares and cut to order sheets (Marmoleum). InterFace
FLOR tiles are 1 foot carpet tiles available in a wide variety of
colors, textures and patters. Many of the options are made from
recycled material and InterFace encourages FLOR customers to return
any unused tiles to be recycled. Very few wall to wall
carpets are considered Green and for health reasons we recommend not
using it.
- Salvaged trim and moldings; there are
several salvage yards in the Seattle area that carry a wide assortment
of trim and molding carefully removed through the deconstruction
process. Buying salvage trim and molding does require some
extra labor to clean up but they save quite a bit from reducing the
waste stream to saving trees from non-sustainable harvesting and the
manufacturing of new materials.
- EcoResin panels; 3Form
panels are panels made with EcoResin, a 40% post industrial waste
product that can be used in a large variety of applications.
Counter tops, shower panels, privacy screens and safety rails are a few of the applications we have seen. We are
planning to use them in our current project.
- Salvaged bathroom and kitchen sinks;
there are many perfectly good sinks that are removed during remodels
everyday. Some are out of date but others simply don't fit in
the new space. There are other more artistic options, such as
using old school bathroom sinks instead of buying 2 new sinks for a
double vanity. We are more then happy to accompany you to a
local salvage yard to weigh your options before buying that new
sink. Reuse is the queen of Green, as it means reduction in new
manufacturing and it is the truest form of recycling.
- Vintage furnishings; so we may not be
able to find many new Green upholstered furniture options, Vintage is
the next best thing. Investing in a classic vintage piece or
pieces, reduces the waste stream again, while gaining a well built,
classically designed piece that will last a lifetime or 2.
We have used several vintage pieces in our projects including dining
table and chairs, re-upholstered arm chairs, unique coffee tables and
desks.
Living and designing Green can incorporate
all or some of these ideas, depending on the scope and scale of the
project. More and more Green interior building and design products
are being created everyday, so check back often for updates. |