If you are remodeling or just reevaluating your kitchen, take a couple extra minutes to incorporate some green elements into your home.

1. The longer that your kitchenware lasts, the less waste you impose on the environment.  Ditch the cheap set of pots and pans and invest in the stainless steel or cast iron versions.  If you are not ready to make this splurge, look into finding a secondhand set.  Look for high quality cooking utensils as opposed to cheaper plastic or wood versions that can melt or rot.  Also consider using cloths instead of paper towels for cleaning up cooking messes.

2.  Try to repair appliances before replacing them.  Even if your dishwasher or refrigerator isn’t the most updated, energy efficient model, it still makes more sense in eco-friendly terms to repair rather than replace.  If you have come to the point where a replacement is necessary, then it is time to look at Energy Star Models for stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, and freezers.

3.  Use cleaning products that are non toxic, biodegradable, and plant based.  Cleaning products are released back into the environment so it is essential that these products are not indirectly harming us.  You can also do DIY cleaning products using household staples such as baking soda and vinegar.

4. Look into green countertops, tile, and flooring.  There are great green options available that are both stylish and eco-friendly.  Recycled countertops, natural tile, and bamboo or cork flooring are all attractive ways to remodel your kitchen.   Make sure to use low VOC paints.  Use cabinets made out of real wood or try to refurbish your existing cabinets.

Did you know that two-thirds of the average American household’s energy usage goes towards home and water heating every year?  Even more shocking is the fact that almost half of this energy goes wasted through poor insulation and inefficient heating systems.  There are steps you can take to reduce these numbers and your home’s impact on the environment.

1. Draftproof your home.  Seal all the leaks where heat could escape and cold air can come in.  This will also be helpful in the summer by preventing the AC from leaking.  Use exterior silicone caulk to seal drafts coming in through windows, doors, plumbing, etc.

2. Install storm windows.  These can increase the inside temperature by almost 30 degrees on a cold day.  Imagine the energy savings that come with this improvement.

3. Turn your ceiling fans on low, even on cold days.  Hot air rises, so a slow moving fan circulates the warm air throughout the room.  You’ll find that you can keep your thermostat set lower if the hot air isn’t rising to the ceiling.

4. Install a programmable thermostat.  Lower the temperatures at night or when you are working.

5. Use your window coverings to your advantage.  During the day, keep them open to let sun in and naturally warm the house.  At night, close them to keep the warm air from escaping too easily through the windows.

6. Do not think that a fireplace is an efficient way to heat the home.  In fact, more heat is lost through the fireplace than is gained.

7. An Energy Star furnace is 15% more effective than an older model.  If it is time to replace, make sure to opt for one that is Energy Star certified.

8. Adjust the temperature on your water heater.  By turning it down just a couple of degrees, you most likely won’t notice the difference, but you will save significantly on your energy usage.  You can also buy blankets that are created specifically to insulate water heaters.

9. Look into radiant floor heating.  This is becoming an increasingly popular way to heat the home because of its energy efficiency.

Go green with these heating tips and you will reduce both your energy bill and your home’s impact on the environment.

West Elm has a wonderful line of eco-friendly clothing storage pieces that will turn your closet into your favorite room.  The Bergen Closet Collection is made from FSC-certified wood veneers from sustainably managed forests.  The eco-friendly hardwood construction uses water based glues and stains, as well as lead-free laquers, and recycled hardware.  If you are looking to revamp your closet, this is a great green option that will help the environment while looking sleek and stylish.

This beautiful house featured in Coastal Living is an example of green architecture at its best.  The house uses solar panels and a wind turbine to harness power and a high tech system to purify waste water.  Elements of old New England homes such as natural cedar shingles and recycled pine floors add charm as well as the green virtues of reuse and recycle.  By pairing sustainability with great design, this home shows the versatility of green living at its best.

Ikea will soon be unveiling a solar powered lighting collection featuring both indoor and outdoor lighting.  The SOLIG collection will feature LED bulbs and transform sunlight into electricity using 70% less power than conventional light bulbs.   With prices under $40, these lighting pieces are a great way to bring a bit of solar power into your home.  You will be able to find everything from a practical desk lamp to a floor lamp to decorative outdoor fixtures perfect for summer nights.  SOLIG fixtures are both stylish and very environmentally conscious.

To help with the New Year’s recycling resolution that we set to make this year the household’s greenest, try a stylish recycling station such as this one from Pottery Barn.  It is a console table that doubles as recycling bins.  It’s a clever and pretty way to disguise the sometimes messy process of collecting recyclables.  It has two compartments which house plastic bins that are perfect for transporting your bottles and paper to the large recycle bin to be picked up.  There are also labels on the front to make the process easier.  Keep this console table in any area where you’ll have lots of recyclables.  The kitchen or a bar area would be particularly convenient.

Recycling is one of the easiest things we can do to make a big impact on the environment.  Starting can be intimidating, but it is actually much easier than one might think.  Follow the steps below to begin recycling in your household:

1. Find out where recycling centers are in your area.  Most urban areas offer recycling pick up every week, similar to trash pick up, however there are areas that have not yet implemented this service.  If you happen to live in a city without recycling pick up, visit www.recyclingcenters.org to find a collection center near you.

2. Take a long, hard look at what you throw away on a daily basis.  Some household may need to recycle lots of paper, others may use more glass or plastic.  Analyze what your needs are and acquire your recycling bins accordingly.

3. Put bins next to the trash can.  Have one for glass/plastic and another for paper.  This will make sorting much easier when the time comes.  Also, the placement of the bins next to the trash can will make it easy to recycle.   The temptation to throw something away just because it is easier is eliminated.

4.  Stress the importance of recycling to your family.  Buy recycled products so that they understand the impact of the simple act of placing a day old newspaper in a bin vs. a trash can.  Involved the children so that they start these good habits early.

Make recycling one of your resolutions for the new year and help your community become a greener place.

With the Holidays comes lots and lots of presents and consequently, lots and lots of waste.  All the beautiful wrapping paper ends up on the floor and then in the trash, resulting in environmentally unpleasant situation.    There are ways around this!  Below are some great ideas for a green gift giving season from the reusable to the recyclable.

Fish Lips Designs

Fish Lips Designs creates beautiful wrapping papers made of 100% recycled    materials and printed with soy based inks.  They also produce great notecard sets and journals, also eco-friendly.

Kimono Gift Wrap

This Kimono gift wrap kit is reusable.   It is a gorgeous way to wrap your presents and know     that the wrapping paper won’t go to waste.  The scarf can be used to wear, to make a pillow, or wrap another gift.  A wonderful way to give two gifts in one and be eco-conscious!

For a similar look on a smaller budget, just use extra fabric or ribbon that you might have lying around the house!

Amy Butler Design

Amy Butler makes fabulous green gift wrapping out 100% recycled materials.  There are bags, papers, and other great products.  This site has pretty prints and gift ideas.

You can also use the classic idea of newspaper, brown paper, or large children’s artwork.  Try old maps or wallpaper.  Use real ribbon instead of curling ribbon.  Costume jewelry, such as long strings of fake pearls, are a lovely substitution for ribbons and bows, and be reused for dress up.

With a little creativity and effort, you can make sure your holiday season is just as environmentally friendly as the rest of your year.

As we look for more ways to go green around the home, we should not overlook how many harmful chemicals can enter our home through cleaning.  The sprays and products that we use to keep our home sparkling clean can bring unnatural and toxic vapors into the air we breathe.  To reduce this, we can consider making our own home cleansers.  Not only does this cut down on the chemicals in our home, but it saves money at the same time.  Also consider the fact that the packing and production that goes into creating household cleaning products can create a large environmental impact over time.  Creating our own cleansers cuts down on this dramatically.  Below are some of the ways that you can begin introducing natural cleansers into your home.

Use a reusable rag to clean almost any surface, including glass, with equal parts hot water and white vinegar.

2 drops tea tree oil into one cup water makes a great bathroom tile cleaner.

A paste made of baking soda and water can tackle even the dirtiest oven.

Add salt and baking soda to an aluminum pan filled with hot water.  This simple combination removes tarnish from silver without toxic chemicals.

Polish your floors with a combination of olive oil and white vinegar.  White vinegar is the cleansing agent, while olive oil acts as a polish.  Adjust amounts accordingly.

Hopefully these tips and the knowledge that inexpensive white vinegar and baking soda are the most useful products that you can use in the home will encourage you to venture into making your own household cleaners as an environmentally friendly alternative to store bought.

Though carpet can make our homes more comfortable, it is important to be careful that you do not jeopardize your health because of carpeting.  Ideally, we would only have carpets made of sustainable materials such as wool, organic cotton, or sisal that do not use adhesives, chemicals, or stain protectors.  However, this is not always realistic.  Luckily, there are steps you can take to make your carpeting safer for the home.

Most synthetic carpet contains VOC’s and backing made out of latex and styrene.  The less of these toxic materials that enter your home, the better, so use area rugs if possible. If wall to wall carpeting is necessary,  ask the installer if it is possible to tack the carpet down instead of using glue.  The installer should unroll and air out the new carpet in a well ventilated area before it is installed.  Once this carpet is installed, try to leave the house for several hours and aim to leave the windows open and air out the room for at least 48 hours.  For continued care of your carpet, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce the amount of germs, dander, and dust that are tracked into your home.

Though green carpeting is not always in the budget for consumers, these tips should help ensure that you are able to make your home healthier for your family.