Green kitchen design of the future :: Recycling

I made a decision a few years back to try and reduce my families household waste as an experiment. I was quite surprised at what you could achieve if you set your mind to it and think of different ways for purchasing and ideas for recycling. We even managed to reduce our weekly bin waste down to just one shopping bag! 

Below are a few things I found quite simple to put into place.

• I have the following bins in my kitchen - 1 for recycling packaging, 1 for food veggie scraps and 1 for common waste.
• I am now in the habit of saving all my scarps for the compost.
• I buy food in smaller amounts and with minimum packaging (against the wish of my local fruit and veg store who prefers me to buy veggies in multipacks!). 
• I fixed a "No junk mail" to my mail box. This was the best thing! My paper waste has been dramatically reduced and what waste paper we do have I shred it and use in my compost. 
• I drink loads of tea and throw the tea leaves onto the base of my garden herbs. 
• I use glass jars for storage of ingredients, pens and stuff.
• I still recycle any packaging that's left over.

I would like to share with you what the future may bring for recycling in our kitchens...

"The Ethical Kitchen," a project by Alexandra Sten Jørgensen

The i Green kitchen concept was designed by Indian designer Nilay Shah in collaboration with Italian brand Veneta Cucine

Outdoor Kitchen designed by landscape designer Jamie Durie for Australian home appliance company Electrolux

The Ekokook by Faltazi

These kitchens all have the following in common:

• There is no refrigerator - timber trays are used for storage of foods with air ventilation through the crates. Also the user only purchases minimum quantities, reducing waste and less need for refrigeration. 
• Air flow - the kitchen will open to the outdoors to vent the heat in the summer and open to the rest of the house in the winter to keep the house warm.
• Water is recycled at the kitchen counter and used for growing herbs, plants or veggies. 
• Disposal of waste is processed and integrated into composting or worm farms thus reducing your household organic waste. 

Literally, food for thought...

How many of you regularly recycle your packaging, save your veggie food scraps for composting or grow your own herbs and veggies? I would love to know of your kitchen recycling ideas.

Have fun.

Recycled timber furniture

Today I am going to interrupt my flow on kitchens but return next week with food recycling ideas for your kitchen...

Yesterday I spent a delightful morning strolling around the Bangalow Markets. I love these markets as you never know what local craft talent you will discover.

I am currently in the process of renovating our 1950's bathroom so I have been on the look out for a piece of recycled furniture, a table or a cabinet that can be restored and used as my bathroom vanity storage unit. It has been months and has been a difficult task to source this item as the item needs to be no bigger 350mm deep and requires storage space. Most furniture is a lot deeper than this and with limited storage.

So I was excited to discover Johnny from Plank Furniture, a local furniture maker who makes custom built furniture made from recycled and reclaimed timber materials. He uses mostly local Australian Hardwood timbers such as Tassie Oak, Ironbark, Camphor, Silky Oak, and Cedar sourced in the Northern Rivers area of NSW.

His talents not only lie with making furniture but he can also build recycled timber kitchens and kitchen counters!

images via Plank Furniture

I will definitely be interested in pulling together some recycled timber furniture ideas for my bathroom and will let you know how it all progresses.

Next week I will return with how to incorporate food recycling options within your kitchen.

Have a great week.

Recycled timber countertops

There is something to be said about using recycled timber within the kitchen.

Even introducing an old butcher block island table adds age and character to any kitchen design.

image courtesy of old sweet water cottage 

If you are unable to source a butcher's block table then there are a few other options for a timber countertop that would give you that same aged look.

Recycled timber countertops - For an alternative to new timber counters

1. Durapalm - An alternative to timber. Wood havested from coconut palms (past their fruit-bearing years), FSC certified and Formaldehyde-free.

2. Windfall Lumber - Recycled timber counter tops made from various sources ranging from salvaged structural timbers to local family farms to exotic hardwood pallets.

3. Teragren - Made from renewable bamboo.

4. Australian recycled timber - FSC certified timber and recycled timber salvaged from demolition sites, woolsheds and wharfs across Australia.

The main rules for sourcing recycled timber are to look for the FSC certified timber logo or to source timber from you local timber recycling centre or recycled timber joiner.

Have fun.

Eco friendly counter tops and splashbacks :: Recycled glass

I just had to add this selection to last weeks list of alternative kitchen counter top materials.

Recycled glass countertops and splashbacks -

For an alternative to natural or quarried stone.

These products are by Trend and range between 59% to 80% pre and post consumer glass waste. They not only produce counter top materials but also recycled glass mosaic tiles which can be used for kitchen splashbacks. This material is not just avalible overseas but also in Australia.

images via Trend

Its great to know that I can still enjoy a glass of wine or my Bombay Sapphire and know that the bottle could end up recycled in someone's kitchen!

Have fun.

Eco friendly kitchen counter tops :: Recycled glass counter tops

Technically the greenest kitchen counter top is the one you already have... However if yours is bright yellow (we still come across a few) or beyond repair or you are unable to source a recycled kitchen then you may need to look for a new kitchen joinery and a new countertop.

Firstly, your counter top material should be of good quality, durable, water resistant, non porous (this excludes most natural stones) and something that is a timeless design that you are happy to live with for many years. If your kitchen is a neutral design and of a good quality it is likely to be around for a while, thus reducing the need to consume more materials with buying a new kitchen.

I have selected a few alternative counter materials below. Some of these brands may not be available in your country but there may be other similar products available by local suppliers.

Recycled glass countertops - For an alternative to natural or quarried stone. 

Whilst granite and marble counter tops have a luxurious finish they are not very environmentally friendly as they are a quarried from natural stone. Nowadays engineered stone has become quite popular as a practical stone substitute but their manufacturing process is not so eco-friendly and their recycled component is fairly low.  However, some stone composite brands are now incorporating higher recycled content options. For an alternative to natural stone or non recycled composites try:

1. Squak Mountain Stone - A fibrous-cement material made from recyled paper, recycled glass and low-carbon cement.

2. Fuez - Made from 100% curbside recycled glass.

3. BottleStone - Made from 80% post-consumer curbside recycled container glass.

4. Vetrazzo - Made from cement and 85% recycled glass from curbside recycling programs. Some of the glass comes from  windows, dinnerware, stained glass, laboratory glass, building demolition glass, traffic lights and other unusual sources. They even provide a certificate of transformation that tells you where the glass came from!

5. Seeta by Torzo - A formaldehyde free composite made from sunflower seed hulls.

6. Caesarstone - On a few colours only, 42% recycled content from production off cuts.

Nowadays there is a wider selection of different surface materials that adopt recycled principals, FSC certified timer products and green building council certification. This is still a growing market a lot of green wash with some materials claiming that they are eco and green when they are not. If you give yourself some time to research thoroughly and check the products technical credentials then you should be able to find your perfect alternative counter finish.

Have fun.

Kitchen design ideas :: Recycled & second-hand kitchens

Before you venture off to your local kitchen display centre, have you ever considered adapting old materials and pieces of furniture to form a new recycled kitchen or even finding a second hand kitchen?

Recycled or mix and match kitchens

Why not use an inherited piece of furniture or salvaged materials for a new purpose, mixing and matching them to form your kitchen. Many items can be used like recycled timber to make the cabinets, old wardrobes to make a pantry and even old timber trays can be used to make shelving. 

Here are just a few examples below:

image via living etc 

image via living etc

image via style files

Before and after by Dilettante Studios

Dilettante Studios have taken it one step further by using recycled pieces of timber, old doors and frames to make these interesting new kitchen cupboards. 

If this is too time consuming, or a bit too out there, another option is to adopt a second-hand kitchen.

Second-hand kitchens

Nowadays recycling businesses are more common and some even specialise in buying and selling previously loved kitchens. They can also remove your old kitchen so it can be spruced up for a new owner. You could also source a kitchen online and adapt to your kitchen space. Either way this could give you a cost effective option to finding a new kitchen. 

You will be surprised what you can find. Here is a modern design I have just found from Second Hand Kitchens.

Always talk to your cabinet maker to see how an older kitchen can be fitted to your current kitchen arrangement and layout.

If you have found a second-hand kitchen or you would just like to freshen up your existing kitchen you could always look at changing a few things with the following upgrades.

Easy kitchen upgrades:

• Re-facing Kitchen Cabinets - Changing cabinet doors, hinges and pulls can give a kitchen a completely new look. Check with a local cabinetmaker for an evaluation to see what’s possible. There are also companies that will will re-spray your old cabinet doors (avoid particle board and fibreboard and insist on low VOC cabinetry and paint finishes).
• Replace the cabinet hardware - Remove the old door handles and replace with a ones that fit in with the overall style of your new kitchen.
• Replace the kitchen counter - There are solid reconstituted stone materials available to direct stick to your existing counter top. These materials are not as thick as a traditional solid surface or stone products and have been developed as a thinner material for renovating older kitchen counters. 
• Add a kitchen island - If your kitchen has room for it, adding an island or a preparation bench can be attractive and useful. You can pick one up at a secondhand furniture store or even Ebay. If you're pressed for storage and preparation space in your kitchen this is a great option as many kitchen islands have storage that can provide you with the extra room you need for more kitchenware.

As you can see from the kitchens above most things are possible when it comes to recycled or second-hand kitchens.

Next week I will check out the options for kitchen counter top materials in more detail.

Have fun.

Kitchen design ideas :: New modern kitchens

Style apart and depending on where you live and the type of property you own there are two main types of new modern kitchen. The type that you buy as a complete fitted kitchen (fixed into position) or a freestanding kitchen or “kit of parts” that can be removed when you move on or sell your property.

New fitted kitchens

Full fitted kitchens are normally supplied as standard by developers in new houses and mostly in Australia without Low VOC [volatile organic compound] materials and sustainable principles.

These images are of new kitchens fitted to older houses and new builds that have been supplied by Cantilever Interiors, a green joinery company based in Victoria.

images via Cantilever Interiors

The advantage of these kitchens is that while they may appear to look like a normal fitted kitchen they are different because they use Low VOC [volatile organic compound] materials and sustainable principles to construct the kitchen. These have significant health and sustainable advantages by using the following:

• Use of Plantation Hoop and Radiata Plywood for carcass construction and E0 melamine face material which comes from sustainably managed forest.
• To protect surfaces and allow for easy cleaning they use Water-based lacquers instead of Polyurethane based products.
• Using E0 rating board and laminate finishes where possible. This has the lowest formaldehyde emission rating possible in Australia.
• Veneer Board using local suppliers who manufacture veneers which are harvested from managed plantations.
• Recycled timber is used where possible.

Freestanding kitchens & instant kitchens

A freestanding or instant kitchen is a different and less traditional take on kitchen design and is sort of like buying a kitchen for life.

An instant kitchen by Hansen

In Italy I have known friends who have rented apartments where unfurnished really means unfurnished. In this case the kitchen was completely empty (no cabinets, no appliances), just the cold water tap sticking up out of the floor where a fitted kitchen once stood. Also there were no light fixtures anywhere only electrical cables protruding from holes in the walls. I was surprised that the timebr floor had not been removed!

We all know that Ikea has a fantastic business selling low cost freestanding kitchens but if you are looking for a flexible kitchen option then it is worth investing on a quality product that will stand up to being moved a number of times and be of a timeless design that you will be happy with for years to come.

Here is an example by Hansen, designed by Danish Architect Knud Kapper, it is 100% eco friendly, made of solid oak or walnut from managed forests and natural low VOC finishes.

Images via Hansen

The kitchen system contains everything you need: oven, gas jets, electric power, refrigerator and water. You can position it in any configuration, all you need is to hook it up to a water supply and connect the gas and electricity.

This style is very well suited to small kitchens, studio apartments and guest accommodation however it can be placed and orientated in anyway and there is no reason why it could not be used for larger kitchens.

Personally I prefer the freestanding option as it allows you to have a kitchen for life with the versatility to suit different home configurations.

Next week I will discuss recycled and mix and match kitchens.

Have fun.

Renovation tips :: Low VOC and natural paints

With all the rebuilding that will begin to take place this year I thought the best thing I could do is to share a series of renovation and decoration tips.

If you are moving into a new home, decorating your nursery, renovating your existing home or just renovating some old furniture there are a few things you should consider when it comes to paints and finishes.

Materials such as paints, stains, varnishes, carpets, new furniture and kitchen joinery contain compounds that "off-gas" over a period of time producing poor air quality in your home. 

A simple example of this is the odour from fresh paint. The smell will dissipate but the compounds will continue to "off-gas" for years after the products or materials are initially installed. For more detail see the image below from Green Painters.

for more details click here at Green Painters

Believe it or not some paints are healthier than others.

I often hear people say... “I love that new home smell” when their walls have been freshly painted or when their timber floor has been sanded, sealed and polished.

That “new smell” is likely to be the product of VOC off gassing and is actually toxic gases released into the air.

You may ask what is a VOC...? 

VOC is short for Volatile Organic Compound. If you would like to learn more about air quality & Volatile Organic Compounds click here.

Otherwise I will try to explain... Regular paints, the sort we normally buy from our local hardware store, are made from a cocktail of petrol based products and chemicals and can give off differing levels of toxic fumes called VOC’s into the environment that can cause symptoms such as breathing and respiratory irritations and headaches.

From the time when these paints and finishes are applied they continue to release their highest levels of emission over the first year and then continue to release lower emissions for years after the first application.

New environmental regulations and consumer demand have led to the availability of a range of healthier paint options from organic and natural paints to zero VOC and low VOC paint products.

If these healthier paints are used along with choosing low VOC finishes, low formaldehyde materials and natural furnishings a newly decorated room should have no smell or odour.

An example of a project where I have used a range of low VOC and natural paints is “Three Little girls and a Boy named Ted”. 

TYPES OF NON-TOXIC PAINTS

image via Marston & Langinger


Natural Paints and Finishes

• Many of these ingredients are made from renewable resources and natural raw ingredients such as water, plant oils and resins, plant dyes, natural minerals such as clay, chalk, milk casein, bees' wax, earth and mineral dyes.
• These are ideal for residential applications, or for use when chemical sensitivity is an issue or sustainability is the main focus.

Zero or Low VOC Paints

• More of a traditional water based or acrylic paint product and ideal for residential and commercial applications.
• These products can be quick drying, better to clean and have a higher UV resistance.
• For chemical sensitivity use Zero or Low VOC paint (less than 1 gram/litre).

Some major paint manufacturers in Australia still use tints that contain high levels of VOC'S. With all paints you can ask for a product's technical data sheet that will explain the VOC level within the product.

With products that brand themselves as “Low VOC” on the tin it is still worth checking what the final VOC level is after a tint is added. When tints are added the VOC value may increase and therefore the original VOC level cannot be guaranteed.

PAINT MANUFACTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY 

for more details click here at Green Painters

Another thing to think about is that just because the paint is classed "low VOC" it does not mean that the product has a low environmental impact. The whole life cycle of the product needs to be considered:

• Does the product come from a renewable resource? 
• How much water is needed to make the product?
• How much energy is used in producing the product?
• Can the product be disposed of with a low environmental impact method?
• Can the product or it's waste be recycled?

There are now eco labels that can help you identify how sustainable a product is. This labeling system will vary from country to country but shows if a product has passed a comprehensive sustainable life-cycle based assessment.

Here in Australia just look for the label below...

GREEN PAINTERS

Green painters and decorators are now becoming much more popular. When selecting low VOC or natural paints I always try to use green painters and tradesmen that are familiar with using these natural products. The benefits of this are that:

• Your painter is qualified and trained to apply these products.
• Your painter uses waste-water minimization and disposes of painting waste correctly within EPA guidelines.
• You know that your paint will not be swapped for a cheaper brand.

WHY NATURAL or LOW VOC PAINTS?

1. Natural finishes, allergy safe & toxin-free.
2. No fumes or smells - healthier on your family and colleagues.
3. Sustainable life-cycle managed product.

As more products are available on the market more people are asking for natural alternatives to protect the health of their children and colleagues. By selecting products that are non-toxic and low VOC you are improving the quality of your air within your home and selecting a more sustainable product.

the beautiful Sistine Chapel - painted between 1508-1512

I hope this has explained a few things about low VOC and natural paint products. Natural paints are not a new thing, they have been around for many years and used to decorate the Sistine Chapel and all the stuccos and ceilings in Europe.

Have fun.

Renovation tips :: Trade secrets for a greener and healthier home

With all the rebuilding that will begin to take place this year I thought the best thing I could do is to share some trade secrets with a series of greener and healthier renovation and decoration tips to help when it comes to redecorating or rebuilding your home.

These tips will not only create a healthier home but will reduce your bills and also save you money in the long term with a more effective selection of finishes, furniture, appliances and equipment.

I have listed a few subject ideas below and in my questionnaire at the top of my blog. Feel free to let me know if there are any other specific topics or issues you would like to me to cover.

What does "Low VOC" paint mean?

Healthy, natural and eco paints

Natural fabrics and fibres

"Low VOC" materials and finishes

How to create a greener kitchen

How to create a greener bathroom

How to choose greener appliances and equipment

Recycling ideas for the home

I welcome and look forward to your comments and suggestions. Have fun...