Finally, here is the post I intended to finish up the “Kitchen Remodel” series but never got around to. I believe I was busy having a baby. But since it’s Earth Day, I thought it might be appropriate to revisit it.

As we remodeled the kitchen, we wanted it to be as eco-friendly as possible, within time and budget constraints. Here are some of the things we did:

Demolition

We donated the old cabinets, countertops, range, microwave/range hood, and unbroken floor tiles to Habitat for Humanity for their ReStore, so these things won’t end up in the landfill. The dishwasher went to friends who needed to replace theirs. And the broken floor tiles went to a lady who wanted them for crafts.

Cabinets

We originally wanted to purchase wood that was certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) for our cabinets. However, we discovered that most FSC-certified wood is shipped from the northern regions of the US or from Canada. So we went another route. Another way to be eco-friendly is to purchase locally, so our cabinets are made from alder wood that was grown and milled right here in Arkansas.

Countertops

The countertops are a solid-surface material made with up to 40% recycled materials. There was a surface available that was made from 100% recycled quartz, but I think it also cost about 100 times as much… well maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it was definitely beyond our budget.

Flooring

Despite its lack of popularity around here and our not having the experiences of others to draw on, we went with cork flooring. Cork is a renewable resource harvested by removing the outer bark of the cork oak tree. This doesn’t harm the tree; the cork grows back and can be harvested again every nine years until the tree is 150 years old. Additional benefits: it is naturally water-resistant, anti-microbial, resistant to wear from friction and impact, and much softer to stand on and more noise-absorbing than tile or hardwood.

Lighting

For the main lighting, we decided to reuse the fluorescents that were in the old kitchen. We won’t win any decorating awards for it, but that’s not what this kitchen remodel was about.  Fluorescents use much less energy than incandescents or the current popular choice, recessed or “canned” lighting. Plus, what is more eco-friendly than using what you already have rather than buying something new? We also went with fluorescents for the under-cabinet lighting. And the light fixture over the dining area will probably have compact fluorescents in it after the original incandescents burn out.

Paint

We used the same paint we have in the rest of the house, a low-VOC paint. This paint releases fewer harmful chemicals into the air and, consequently, our lungs.

Appliances

We purchased a new fridge, dishwasher, range, and range hood. All are Energy Star appliances, which are not that hard to come by, but it’s worth a mention.

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