At school, our design projects have to be specialized in a certain area. Some examples of what my classmates are doing is: flooring, window treatments, lighting. I am specializing in "GREEN". My thesis is basically how to incorporate green products into your home. So I thought I would share with you some of my favorite green products. If you interested in learning more about green design, this months Dwell & Domino magazine talk all about it. Also you can ask me!
Vetrazzo is a mixture of recycled glass (85%) and concrete. It comes in many vibrant colors (you can also customize) and is mostly used for countertops but can be used for tabletops, flooring or even attached to walls. It is scratch resistant and is almost as hard as Granite (meaning you can put your hot pans on it and the counter won't melt.) My teacher has this in her house and it looks really spectacular. A good alternative to granite.
AFM Safecoat is a type of paint that produces 0 VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), which means that it doesn't produce any air pollution. Most paint companies have 0 VOC or low VOC paints but those companies are adding other chemicals in order to get a low VOC that is in turn polluting the air. AFM Safecoat promises that their paints are 99.9% chemical free.
Duro Design is just one of MANY companies that sells alternative flooring. I love the way that Bamboo flooring looks. It is really unique and has beautiful coloring. The reason that Bamboo flooring is so much better for the environment is that it grows back in 4-5 years and yields 2500% higher usable biomass than traditional flooring. It is also harder then most wood flooring and has half the contraction and expansion problems.
5 comments:
What is the basic cost difference if I decided to go green? 15% premium?
It matters how green you are willing to go. I have seen homes that are 100% green (down to clothes that the owners wear) and the energy that they use is produces less then the energy that they save. So they are producing energy just by living green. That is a little extreme and most people can't afford it because being that green is an investment that takes time.
Something that is you can do that will save you money, is unplugging your toaster or phone charger or your tv or light fixtures (ect.)when you are not using them. Standby power is responsible for 5-10% of the total electricity of your home.
Another thing is change your light bulbs to CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) Bulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and can save you $30 or more in energy costs over the bulb's lifetime. Meaning that is it 65% to 75% less energy that provide the same light.
Anyways sorry for the rant and it really doesn't answer your question. Oh well, hope it helps.
I still think they should hire you at Eastside Records to design the inside of their store.
I almost had you a contract that day! jk
love all your ideas- totally love you posting often....
Allyson wants you to design her house. K?
Beka, you rock! Check my blog! I updated it!
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