Get an Eco-Friendly Kitchen
An eco-friendly kitchen calls to mind health and happiness, plus sustainable materials that will last longer than a few seasons. Here are some ways you can ensure a greener kitchen.
Maximize Southern Exposure.
Make use of your kitchen’s natural light which can save you money on electricity bills and make your home much warmer. You can achieve more sun by making the most of the southern exposure of the home so that additional light will stream into your kitchen on a daily basis.
Build with Bamboo.
Bamboo is a sustainable material that can work wonderfully in the kitchen. You can choose from various grains and colors. A lighter shade of bamboo works well to make the kitchen appear light and bright.
Go with No VOC.
Volatile Organic Compounds (or VOCs) are toxic gases that are released from wall paint, so a good green move is to choose paints that are low or completely free of VOCs. Also choose building materials such as VOC-free glues and adhesives to ensure a healthier kitchen.
Choose Cork.
Cork flooring in the kitchen can be a lovely rustic aesthetic to your home, plus with its sustainability factor, cork is a lovely choice instead of wood. Cork trees regrow every nine years, while trees such as maple take up to 30 years or more to replenish, thus using them are kinder to the environment. In the kitchen, cork works well when set against modern colors, such as lime green. They provide the perfect background for a bit of
color saturation.
Mount Faucets to the Wall.
Although it might not be considered eco-friendly at first glance, mounting your kitchen faucet to the wall can make a huge difference in the layout of the room. It allows for more space, which is especially advantageous in smaller kitchens. This maximizes your efficiency, allowing for more people to work at the sink simultaneously, which can also save you water.
Stylish Salvaged.
The trend of making use of old, worn materials or items is a must in green living. As you can see in the above image, a salvaged cabinet comes alive in the kitchen, giving it an interesting piece of furniture that could have been part of a living room in its previous life. By leaving salvaged items a little worn and torn, this further makes them unique creations in the kitchen, while preventing waste in the environment.
Stone Tops.
Stone in the kitchen is always a great natural material, but you can also choose from stone countertops that are made from recycled materials. This takes the green initiative one step further. Stone can be trendy and colorful, as can be seen from the countertop in the above image that is made from recycled wine, beer and Vodka bottles.
Mismatched Chairs.
Using what you already have to update your kitchen can be a simple way to jump on the eco-friendly bandwagon. Mismatched chairs look trendy and fun, while breathing new life into items of furniture that you did not want.
Choose a Convection Oven.
Colorful appliances, or those with a touch of design, add to the aesthetic of the kitchen. When choosing your oven make sure it is a convection one. This means that it uses a fan to move heat from its source to the food, making sure to cook it much faster than regular ovens. This prevents the waste of energy in the kitchen.