Resources

A GREENER KITCHEN

Okay, so we know that we spend a third of our lives in bed - so get a good one.
And at least a third of our lives working - so wear good shoes and get a window.

So, how do we spend the remaining third? Cooking & Eating - especially if you're Italian. So, to get you Greener, here are some great, new ways to green your kitchen.

FLOORING:
Bamboo hardwood is a floor you should know about. It's at least as hard as most hardwood choices, and harder than most. Bamboo forests are quick to regenerate - 4 to 7 years - making them a better choice than Oak or even Pine, trees that need 20-40 years to mature. Bamboo is natural, gorgeous, durable and easy to install. It's also available all over the country, at pricing that often beats traditional flooring. Lumber Liquidators has a good selection of DIY flooring warranted for 25 years. http://www.lumberliquidators.com/home.jsp

WINDOWS:
Kitchens need plenty of sunlight. 90% of all heat loss and sun damage happens through windows. What's a cook to do? The keys to a good window are sealed, double pane E-rated glass, the inert argon gas that fills the gap to prevent the transfer of energy and durability. Fiberglass or vinyl windows are more robust that wood, require NO maintenance and can be manufactured as one -piece units that reduce leaks. They are also a great way to save money on climate-conditioning costs: better seal = lower energy costs. Magic Windows unique, award winning design incorporates hidden screens that reduce or eliminate the pollutants and toxins associated with permanent screens, ease of cleaning and wide open views. They are also the most energy efficient windows we could find.http://www.magic-window.com/main.html

LIGHTING:
Incandescent technology is over 100 years old - there's GOT TO BE something better & greener. There is. LED lights consume fractions of what incandescent bulbs do, and now with the new, warmer 2700 degree 'warm lights' provide similar light. Yes, they cost more to purchase, but last 30 times longer than the Edison variety. That translates to a savings of $159 PER BULB. C Crane Company makes the Vivid series of bulbs and offers bulk discounts to green your whole house. http://www.ccrane.com/lights/led-light-bulbs/index.aspx

Daylighting is even MORE energy efficient than LED. This term refers to bringing sunlight in to a room instead of electric light. Solatube make a full line of lights that can bring 'skylight' light into room... even if they aren't directly under the roof. Their technology of transporting the light from the roof, through twists and turns in the house, and delivering it to dark rooms in need is revolutionizing building. It's like cooking outside at a picnic... without all the pesky bugs!http://www.solatube.com/homeowner/

COUNTERTOPS:
Granite comes from far away. It's heavy, and requires a lot of energy to mine it, shape it and get it from Tuscany to you. Synthetic, recycled countertops utilize broken glass and porcelain, suspended in a resin, to create gorgeous, durable surfaces perfect for cooking, eating and living. They are installed and worked just like granite, but greener. Enviroglas is an American company at the forefront of design and recycling.http://www.enviroglasproducts.com/

CABINETS:
In our entire project, nothing has been harder to find than "green" cabinets for the kitchen. There simply isn't a lot of product out there right now. Bamboo shows promise, but there are longevity issues. Synthetic 'pressboard' products are filled with out-gassing chemicals and toxic ingredients... not what you want around food prep. But there is a small, faint light at the end of the tunnel: Lyptus. 

Show of hands, how many have ever seen Lyptus wood? Bueller, Bueller... Anyone?

Lyptus is a new species of wood, developed by Weyerhaeuser specifically for cabinetry. It regrows in about half the time of other 'cabinet' woods, and has all the same positive qualities: no toxins like pressboard or melamine, and it's cosmetically stunning. Sadly, cabinets made from this wood are hard to find. Showplace Wood Products is a nationwide cabinet maker that has experience with the wood http://www.showplacewood.com/ but there's no reason any local cabinet maker can't use it... you've just got to ask. To learn more about the overwhelmingly positive elements of this wood for kitchen use, go tohttp://www.lyptus.com/.

HARDWARE:
There is a lot of scrap iron in the world. Most of it is just sitting in landfills, slowly oxidizing and rusting away. Luckily Kohler, the high-end plumbing people out of America's Dairy land, are on the case. They have a full line of tubs, sink, fixtures and accessories crafted from 97% recycled iron. They go get it, melt it down and make it into bubble tubs and sinks. It's possible the tub you sink into tonight was once a bumper for a '67 Ford Fairlane. Check out their full line of enviro-friendly water-ware. http://www.us.kohler.com/general/castIron.jsp?section=1&nsection=1&nsubsection=1&nitem=link12

Those are just some of the ways we are making our GreenHouse kitchen greener than it was. Now, nothing is perfect. That's not even our goal... we don't want you living in a yurt like a platypus. But there ways to live GREENER, without sacrificing comfort, and most of them will SAVE YOU MONEY. Aren't you glad you're here?