Can Green Go Gorgeous?

Can a green kitchen also be gorgeous? We attended the first design seminar of the year at the San Francisco Design Center this past week to kick-off the Designer's Wednesdays series for 2009. The title of the seminar was "Dream Green Kitchens," which was ultimately misleading. The speaker was Jennifer Roberts, author of several books (Good Green Kitchens, Good Green Homes and Redux) on green design . Her presentation was informative on the current green issues, however all examples she cited showed zen, minimal and contemporary kitchens. Don't get me wrong....theses kitchens can be pretty. But do they work in a Victorian, Mediterranean or Beach Bungalow? Pictured above is one of our most popular kitchens. While we used a vintage sink below the window and vintage fabric for the skirt, energy star appliances and flourescent lighting. Could this same look be achieved using even more green materials or does "going green" mean sacrificing aesthetics?

Jennifer's presentation focused on the basics of green design, which to most interior designers living in the Bay Area is old hat. In sum, she talked about going beyond what should be the bare minimum in energy-saving techniques, i.e. comparing only energy-star appliances to find the best of the best, utilizing LED and fluorescents, adding insulation, strategically-placed dual-pane windows, etc. By looking for creative ways to utilize space, by doing research before you purchase, by asking suppliers the hard questions even though you may not have any choice in what you ultimately purchase for your clients, and by asking your clients how much they really need what they are contemplating buying, in other words can they reuse any of their old stuff, a designer can stay at the cutting-edge of eco-savvy design.


Of course, the latest issues of Metropolitan Home, Domino and even Bon Appetit have something to add to the subject, more in line with the challenges of a die-hard aesthete. There are the latest in LEED-certified fabrics, wallpapers and textiles. There are stunning spreads on Manhattan renovations with energy-conscious upgrades, mostly windows, radiant heating, no-VOC paints and FSC-approved wood flooring and cabinetry (Metropolitan Home, April 2009). But nary a one has a traditional-looking kitchen that offers aesthetic warmth AND efficiency. Nearly every kitchen featured in a green project has contemporary modular kitchen cabinets with composite surfaces and concrete floors. No one expects a green project to be completely free of every known toxin, but at this juncture is the state of modern kitchen design stuck in the box (think, cargo)? Can you ever feel good about importing a Boffi or Arclinea kitchen from Italy?


Thinking outside the box, my partner and I came up with the following 3 major design areas which can make a difference in the overall look and feel of your green kitchen (more product recommendations are welcome...):

1. Cabinetry & Hardware: FSC-approved sustainable wood products, natural stain or no-VOC paint are givens. Many local lumber yards have a selection of sustainable woods. As Jennifer mentioned, verify your cabinetmaker uses FSC-certified woods. Local to the Bay Area, Silverwalker Cabinetry (www.silverwalker.com) and Woodshanti Cooperative (ww.woodshanti.com) can both fabricate a wide range of styles customized to suit your home. Places like Liz's Antique Hardware on La Brea in LA (www.lahardware.com) are great for resourcing vintage cabinet hardware and door handles which can provide a classic look.

2. Surfaces: Most "ceramic" green tiles are really muddy-looking or worse, bright and gaudy, which is why the recycled glass tile has become so popular. The colors can be crisp and clean or subtle and spa-like depending on your design. There are also tiles made from recycled metals and bamboo tiles. I was thinking the days of the clean white tile might be gone...then I discovered Terra Green's new ceramic tile line called Elements, which offers 10 matte colors with a sateen finish, including one called Air which may serve as a clean white field tile (I'll have to order a sample)...On the Terra Green Ceramics site, these tiles are noted to have LEED relevance (whatever that means) and use 55% recycled matter. I think nice-looking tiles made of recycled products are lacking overall.

In terms of countertops and flooring, recycled composite surface materials like Ice Stone, Vetrazzo and Paperstone are recycled and thus green products. I have to say only the Paperstone looks subtle and classic, but I am concerned about the long-term wear and tear. Natural stone like marble, granite, and slate are made more beautiful over time and have a warm and natural look that hasn't replicated with a composite material in my opinion. There's something naturally durable about stone pulled from the earth, that was formed over hundreds of thousands of years with water flowing over and through it and subjected to the harshness of the earth's formation that stands the test of time.

3. Lighting: Besides using LED undercabinet lighting and skylights for added natural light, a kitchen island or table is a great place to showcase style with vintage lighting or statement pieces offered at eco-conscious sites like re:modern.com.




like the recylced bottle lighting by Jerry Kott




or the bendant hanging light by mio which is made to use with a compact fluorescent.


For some noteworthy examples of green style (emphasis on the style) from the latest issues of design magazines, there is the "Greenest Little House in America" located in Oakland, Ca. and a great example of achieving the balance between style and efficiency (also in Metropolitan Home, April 2009).




There is the marriage of a modern kitchen with a Victorian structure, which happens to be my favorite (Bon Appetit, April 2009).



Anyone know of any other new green resources that can make a beautiful addition to a more traditional kitchen?