Eco Friendly Kitchen Remodels

Seems like Green, Eco Friendly, LOW V.O.C., and sustainability are the buzz words of the building and design world these days. Consumers have developed environmental consciences, as they should and are interested in completing projects that are easy on the earth and the atmosphere. Our friends in California have really been the trailblazers in bringing Eco Friendly building practices into the limelight.

The painting industry has also answered the call and now there are Zero/Low V.O.C. versions of just about every product in our tool kit. Of course, products like Venetian Plaster have always been LOW V.O.C.

If you are remodeling a room and not changing the existing floor plan here are some ways to lower your impact on the environment with your remodel:

Don’t tear out your existing cabinets. If you like the layout of your kitchen or bathroom you can either have your existing cabinets and vanities refaced or for a fraction of the cost of refacing, you can have them painted. Even melamine/laminate cabinets can be painted successfully when primed and top coated properly. Here are a few pictures of kitchen cabinets we have painted.
Pewter leaf cabinet makeover

White melamine/laminate cabinets before

After Tobacco Stain Faux Finish
Don’t tear out your counter tops. There are concrete overlay products on the market now that can be applied directly on top of laminate, tile, wood, and Formica. The final product can be finished in a variety of ways. It can be made to look like granite, travertine, limestone, soapstone or just about anything you can dream up. Here are some counter tops we finished to look like limestone.
Formica counter top before faux finish

Counter top after Concrete overlay faux finish

Formica Countertop before Concrete Overlay Faux Finish

After Concrete Overlay Faux Finish
Make sure your wall coverings are LOW V.O.C. Indoor air pollution is caused by Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. VOCs are chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature. VOCs are emitted by paint, carpet, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, furniture, building materials and pesticides. Recent research has implicated VOCs as a cause of many chronic health conditions like liver and kidney damage, cancer and nervous system disorders. A good choice for LOW V.O.C. wall coverings are Venetian Plaster and LOW V.O.C. paints. We are the only certified installers of Spatula Stuhhi, Italian Venetian Plasters in Tennessee. Here are a few pictures of Spatula Stuhhi Venetian Plaster.
Spatula Stuhhi Lilac Venetian Plaster

Spatula Stuhhi Venetian Plaster
Maximize ventilation in the workspace during the project.
Follow strict guidelines for paint clean up and disposal. Brushes and rollers should be cleaned in a bucket of water. Waste water should be flushed so that it can be treated by the sewer system. Any extra paint should be taken to the dump for proper disposal.
Be careful of your floor choices. If you are using tile make sure your adhesive and grout are LOW V.O.C.