Bring Green to Your Home

The Style Maker panelists will help define green design during their discussion. These are just a few of their suggestions to make your home greener, more sustainable, and more healthful:

• Plan Eco-strategies. Going green is more about a process than a set of products; spending time up front to plan your eco-strategies will save time and money in the long run.

• Ask questions. Not every company boasts about its green-ness, but some make remarkable efforts to that end. Ask what the company is doing now, and what it’s done in the past. You can be confident working with organizations that have taken a proactive role to be green.

• Start with quality. Any product or design that doesn’t last in style or durability isn’t truly green, because it will soon need to be replaced.

• Be aware of factory practices. Some suppliers claim to offer green products, but their manufacturing processes or factory waste may disqualify such claims.

• Buy Energy Star. High-quality Energy Star appliances reduce your energy bill and overall carbon dioxide emissions.

• Watch out for toxicity in your home. New cabinetry and furniture may off-gas formaldehyde from chip board and plywood or unhealthy VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from cabinet finishes.

• Throw some vintage furniture into your decorating mix. There is nothing greener than using something that doesn’t have to be built from scratch. Online classifieds, estate sales, and vintage furniture dealers are great places to find eclectic furnishings for good prices.

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