Planning to have your kitchen renovated or remodeled? If yes, then consider choosing the greener approach for the renovation project, thus making your kitchen an eco-friendly space in your home in the long run. Here are some eco-friendly ideas that could get you started on your project in no time at all.
Choose eco-friendly countertops
When choosing a countertop material for your kitchen, consider opting for eco-friendly choices like quartz and granite. Made of mica, feldspar and other naturally occurring minerals, granite can be cut and polished per specific requirements, thus making wonderful countertops for kitchens.
Quartz also offers a clean, polished, and rather stylish look for a kitchen countertop. The good thing about these materials is that they are long lasting and extremely durable, thus making them very sustainable choices for your kitchen renovation project. Some other materials that are sustainable or recyclable, and can work well for kitchen countertops include cement, glass, and porcelain.
Choose reclaimed materials
Instead of buying everything you need for the kitchen from scratch, consider using reclaimed items in some cases. Reclaimed items like reclaimed wood or tiles offer a vintage look to the kitchen and help you save the environment indirectly.
For instance, a free-standing armoire would be a wonderful substitute for an island workstation Crystal or porcelain door knobs can work well for cabinet and entry doors. Using reclaimed items for your kitchen will prevent these items from ending up in the landfill while saving you plenty of money in the process (remember, you don’t need to buy everything new).
Let natural light and air in
A great (and green) way to utilize the space in your kitchen in a more efficient manner is to let as much natural light and air in as possible. Natural lighting eliminates the need for other lighting options like lamps or bulbs unless otherwise necessary. A kitchen window incorporated near the sink will let plenty of air in while you do the dishes or cook, thereby reducing the need for a fan in the kitchen space.
Reuse old cabinetry
New cabinets tend to be costly, both for you and for the environment as well. One way to thwart this is to refurnish old cabinets. Take a good look at the cabinets in the kitchen. Will they do fine with a few repairs and a new paint job? If yes, then consider reusing them after these repairs. This can prove to be an economical as well as eco-friendly option for a kitchen renovation. Just make sure you are using the best finish for kitchen cabinets, a polyurethane varnish finish to keep your cabinets looking great as long as possible. If on the other hand, you choose to go with new cabinets, try getting ones done in sustainable materials like responsibly harvested wood or bamboo. Avoid using toxic paints for the cabinets as well.
Make use of sustainable stains, paints and varnishes
Standard paints, stains and varnishes used in households tend to contain chemicals and plenty of toxins that can be harmful for the body as well as the environment. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in these items can cause watery eyes, headaches, breathing problems, nausea, and a bucket load of other problems.
Hence, stick to either no-VOC stains, paints, and varnishes, or those with negligible amounts of VOCs for your kitchen renovation. This will keep your family healthy in the long run in addition to keeping the environment safe from these VOCs and their side effects.
Make use of low flow smart faucets
You can also choose to install a smart faucet in your kitchen. A smart faucet will come with a low flow feature which will reduce the amount of water flowing out of the tap while increasing the pressure of the flow, thus enabling you to believe that the same amount of water is gushing out. Some smart faucets also come with motion detection sensors that can turn on or off the tap, or heat the water with a wave of your hand.
Choose energy efficient appliances
If you are planning on a green kitchen, you will need to purchase energy efficient appliances to complement the idea. ENERGY STAR appliances that use lesser amounts of energy for efficient operation will be a great choice for your kitchen. You will also need to take note of the size of the appliances as per your needs, for too small an appliance will lead to overcrowding and over-working while too large a size will lead to wasted power.
If you are planning on renovating your kitchen, take note of a few ideas that could make your project a green, eco-friendly one. These tips will ensure that your kitchen remodeling project does not overburden the environment in any way.
