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GREEN DESIGN

Green Design (also called sustainable design) is the art of designing physical objects and the built environment to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. It's about making good choices when it comes to protecting our world and preserving its resources by using sustainable or easily renewable materials like bamboo flooring, instead of depleting resources like granite that would take hundreds of thousands of years to replace. Many consumers have heard about what it can do to help their health as well as the environment, others just think it's a neat concept, but may not know if it can be implemented in their homes. Although a new home built to be "Green" using LEED certification guidelines will give the best results for indoor air quality and energy use savings, it does not mean you should give up on Green design for your interior dcor in an existing home.

This gorgeous 7,500 square foot home absolutely defies the idea that sustainable design sacrifices a buildings aesthetic. A stair and elevator passage create an open shaft used as a solar chimney to exhaust and recover heat which collects at the high ceilings of the living room and master bedroom. It also uses solar energy to power the home, heat the pool, and provide radiant heating.

ENVIROMENTAL HOME

The ravine you see running beneath the crosswalk was once dry, but by bringing in non-potable water from a nearby treatment facility, it became an integral part of the air conditioning system as well as a gorgeous water feature. By using an existing dry ravine, they eliminated the need to dredge one out and got an excellent source of water to use for the AC system, irrigation, and for a water supply for flushing toilets.

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A classic traditional dining room that uses furnishings that were allowed to off-gas before being brought into the home, as well as environmentally friendly paints, draperies, etc.

INTERIOR FOCUSED ON GREEN DESIGN

This sweet as can be nursery provides a healthy haven for an infant by using nonVOC (violent organic compound) paint, which is horrible for a baby's lungs.

INTERIOR FOCUSED ON GREEN DESIGN

INTERIOR FOCUSED ON GREEN DESIGN

Part of an urban house,

INTERIOR FOCUSED ON GREEN DESIGN

THINK GREEN

Going green is not just beneficial to our environment; it is beneficial to you and your familys health. Making responsible choices for our world often means making your immediate environment within the home or work place healthier. Toxic chemicals that are bad for the soil, air, water, and wildlife are also bad for you! In addition to being mindful of the toxins in the things you use everyday, making decisions that reduce the amount of energy you use, can lead to more financial savings.

1.Use cast iron pans instead of nonstick 2. Chose non-toxic paints, detergents, and sealers 3. Avoid chemicals leaching into food by purchasing less processed, canned or fast foods and never microwave plastic. 4. Seal outdoor wooden structures. Order a test kit to find out if your wooden deck, picnic table, or playset is leaching arsenic. 5. Install all natural wool carpeting . 6. Bike or walk to work. The only gas youll use with this option is oxygen. Savings: $1,560 per year 7. Avoid single serve drinks. 8.Wash clothes only when you have a full load. Two socks or a full load require the same amount of energy to wash. Youll save money on your water bill when you wash clothes less often. 9. Use cold water whenever possible. 10. Fix water leaks. One drip can waste 250 gallons of water a month, which translates to 3,000 gallons of wasted water annually. 11. Use less water when you flush 12. Paper or plastic? Neither! Use re-usable bags that you can buy online or from stores in your area. Keep your bags in your vehicle so that if you make an unexpected stop to purchase something you have your own bag with you.

QUOTES ABAUT THE NATURE

Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites. ~William Ruckelshaus, Business Week, 18 June 1990 We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732 We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb They kill good trees to put out bad newspapers. ~James G. Watt, quoted in Newsweek, 8 March 1982I am the earth. You are the earth. The Earth is dying. You and I are murderers. ~Ymber Delecto Save the nature preserve the future