One of our absolute favorite designers, Lori Dennis, wants to give you a sneak peak of her new book. Lori is an expert on executing green design that’s smart and chic. Green Interior Design is her easy-to-use, inspirational manual for creating a beautifully designed home that focuses on reducing waste and pollution, as well as protecting the health of those living in it.
This Allworth Press release is available in stores later this month, but I’ve got an advance copy with your name on it. Simply answer this week’s question before 12/11c Monday, Nov. 8. to win. And check out Lori Dennis on HGTV’s Designers’ Portfolio.
This week’s question: What ways have you gone green in your home?
PS If you’re coming here from Facebook.com/HGTV, you’ll need to answer the question in the comments below for it to count. Questions answered on the Facebook site aren’t entered into the contest.
I try to recycle as much as I can. When I buy, I look for products that do not have excessive packaging.
I create art out of found objects. That's recycling too. We recycle just about everything. We use recycled products and green cleaners.
Recycling, Replacing old Windows so more sealed/energy efficient, replacing light bulbs with environmentally friendly ones, cutting back on how high we turn on the heat and plugging things into power strips so we can just turn off/unplug the whole thing if we go away!
We have a vermiculture project and recycle 100% of our food scraps, paper and anything else those little composters will eat. We recycle everything possible. Use cloth cleaning rags instead of paper towels. Buy green cleaners and use baking soda and vinegar extensively for cleaning. Installed dual pane windows, insulated with 16" of batting and sprayed in cellulose, have an energy efficient heat pump, use CFL bulbs, keep the thermostat at 65 in the winter and wear more layers to keep warm… Have a gray water line to re-use our gray water for watering our trees… We're trying to leave a light foot print on our Mother Earth!
recycling, upcycling, cloth grocery bags, netting produce bags and more environmentally friendly cleaners
Currently in our home we use carpet tiles – affordable, local, made of recycled materials and can be recycled later. Plus, my husband and I live in a small 659 sft condo (costs less to heat & cool). But our biggest "green" venture is opening a green spa (Ahh Green Spa, LLC) on Hilton Head Island, SC. We're trying to get as many ideas as we can for insulating, painting, reusing certain elements that are there already and staying on a very tight budget. We've looked at ceramic tiles, milk paint, low-flow toilets, updating faucets, etc. We would love a copy of this book to give us more ideas on what we could use for decorating.
We are putting in Bamboo flooring in 80% of the house. Also installed low-flow faucets.
Been looking for more 'green' ideas. We used low-voc paint during our last project.
recycle recycle recycle, all furniture is purchased used from garage sales, instant hot water so we dont waste a bunch waiting for it to warm up, we use efficient wood heat with wood that the Bureau of Land Management wants cut down or from downed trees, also this year i made window treatments from old blankets, fabric scraps, and clothing items purchased from garage sales and Goodwill to help reduce heat and cooling loss from the windows, they came out a lot nicer looking than i thought they would. we also grow our own vegetables and do our own composting. cold water washing in the laundry & hand washing dishes to use less water. we bought a docking station for our micro electronics so all we need to do is unplug one plug and all the charges are no longer drawing unneeded electricity. small kitchen appliances are unplugged as well. Did you know that the typical family microwave oven uses more electricity working as a clock than it does heating/cooking food in a year?!? if we are leaving town for more than a day we turn off the circuit breakers to items such as laundry room, dishwasher, bathrooms & bedrooms, etc….
reuse, recycle, cloth grocery bags, refillable containers, turn off lights, energy saving bulbs, you name it. Natural cleaning products, where possible.
"Going Green" isn't just about recycling or making sure you turn the lights off, it's about getting the most out of an item, start to finish. In the early part of the 20th century, there was a saying – "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." We've taken that to heart in our home, using refinished and re-purposed furniture that we've rescued from their former lives in the homes of friends and family, yard sales, even restaurants. You'd be surprised how much life some of the things we throw out still have in them if you just put in a little TLC to bring it out!
YES YES YES!!!
I keep my heat at 68 and my air conditioner at 75. I purchase used items. I watch tv rarely. I recycle everything and started using cloth napkins and use dish cloths rather than paper towels. I use eco-friendly light bulbs. Try to reuse water. Cleaning with eco-friendly cleaning products. I buy glass containers when I can rather than using plastic. It is my opinion that it really does not matter what I use if corporations continue to produce products that hurt our environment. USA needs to stop producing eco-NONfriendly products.
We Recycle
Recycling and using energy efficient lightbulbs and appliances.
I use energy saving light bulbs, recycle anything I can, turn off electronics and lights, unplug electronics, use a hybrid hot water heater, energy saving appliances, compost, and collects rain water.
I compost food scraps and yard waste, grow many of my own vegetables and herbs, keep unused appliances and lights turned off and/or unplugged, keep the thermostat turned back, use cold water to wash laundry, use newspaper as mulch in my garden, monitor the length of my teen's showers(!), keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it is warming and use that water for plants in house and in garden. I also try to keep road trips to a minimum by clustering shopping/errands when possible.
Just bought 2 steam cleaners….one for floor and one for hand cleaning. They are excellent. No more chemical cleaners needed.
We are going to move to be closer to where we work (saving gas and wear and tear on our vehicles), recycle, buy used rather than new, buy as many local non-processed foods and products as possible (we're so blessed to have Whole Foods and Central Market close by), use cloth rather than paper (e.g., napkins, cleaning towels, etc.). I'd love to use Lori Dennis' book to help me live greener in our new home.
Installed a solar tube in our bathroom..no more turning the light on/off in there during the day! Replaced an old slider door with a "new" used vinyl slider door. Recycling. Trying to teach my son to be aware of the energy he's using and how not to waste it.
Recycle and Re-Pupose!
I recycle faithfully and recently had a kitty door put in my kitchen door to keep in heat being lost by kitchen door being open to laundry room. Kittys' food kept in hallway and litter box in basement so they (2)still have access to their needs. I keep my heat at 60 and just add an extra layer. Also I have a propane fireplace I use to take the chill off in the morning. I dont watch a lot of TV but HGTV is the one on all the time! Love it!
I've always lived "green". My father taught me to compost back in the 60's. I like to hang up clothes on a clothes line to dry in the sun. I grow vegies & herbs. I use a food dehydrater. I even found the right setting on it to make my own yogurt by the gallon and add my own flavoring! I recycle. I use empty medicine bottles for storing little things and canning jars for storage of bigger things so I can see what they are (works great in cupboards and fridge). I really like the big pickle jars! I buy large packages of meat & repack into smaller ones & label & freeze. I am always looking for new ideas!
Every lightbulb in my house is the energy efficient type. I also recycle metal and cans, cardboard, paper, and glass at the local recycle center. I just bought a house so I haven't set up a compost bin as of yet, but that is coming. I keep my A/C at 79 and my heat at 68.
Recycling??
We have "greened" up our home in many significant ways (cloth napkins, environmentally friendly cleaning products, etc.), but one of my favorite things is we now collect all of the plastic caps and lids that are not recycled by our local collector (and used to be trashed) and take them to a local Aveda salon that has a program for recycling them. These little bits of plastic tend to find their way into our streams and oceans and cause great damage to wildlife. Please check out Aveda's program here.
We stopped buying paper towels in favor of microfiber, natural cleaning products and for our kitchen renovation we did our best to get the greenest materials we could afford (marmoleum floor, quartz counters) we have all energy star appliances and updating the 50s toilet is saving us 16k gallons a year, seriously!!
just recycle whatever I can.
We have changed all the bulbs in our apartment to cfl, we keep the thermostat at about 78 in summer. We live in Atlanta and have a ceiling fan which keeps our apartment cool even though we have tons of windows. We also keep the heat low in winter, and adjust the window coverings to take advantage of the sun to help heat in winter. Unfortunately we have no control over the appliances, but so far our bills have been pretty low.
recycle almost everything! Stop using paper plates, paper napkins and plastic forks. We switched to cloth napkins, siverware and real dishes for gotherings. So what if we have to wash a few more dishes!
We reuse, recycle and repurpose everything we can as part of our daily lives. Now we are much more aware of what we are buying and how it is made and packaged. We buy local more often, and use as many Eco-friendly and homemade products (especially cleaning items) as possible. We’ve recently put in new windows (what a difference!) and the cool roof is going on this month. Next is solar (everyone in the west should have it-c’mon people!), and hoping for a wind turbine in the not-so-distant future (just in time to power up my new electric Mini Cooper!) As far as decorating goes, I try to be clever, slipcovers for furniture and pillows, painting items for a fresh look, giving away or selling/ swapping items we don’t use anymore. It’s fun and challenging and we feel great about our efforts.
we recycle, use non toxic cleaners, don't wear shoes in the house, gave up bottled water, compost scraps, eat only organic produce, stopped eating meat (I miss you fried chicken), use cloth diapers, make our own baby food, and yesterday I convinced our daycare to give up lysol and febreeze!!! Go green!
I recycle and read all the updates to keep up on anything new added to the items accepted. I compost and have a worm bin. Warmup water is used on plants. Ride my bicycle when practical. I've always got a collapsible cooler in the car. This enables me plan group grocery and other shopping in the same trip and not have to worry about items that need refrigeration.
My husband built a composter so we save kitchen scraps for it, newspaper, leaves, coffee grounds and tea bags, etc. I have over 20 plants in our mobile home and have arranged a few of them into a green room divider! We re-purpose whenever possible – even doing crafts with some of the materials. I am a member of the Freecycle Community so regularly recycle all sorts of household items and clothing. We donate yard sale left overs to the Veteran's Thrift Shop which helps homeless veterans. We hold "Give & Takes" which is an open house style, free yard sale. We are keeping the heat down this winter and dressing more warmly. We have had an energy audit. We closed off 2 rooms that we do not need to heat in the winter and we use energy efficient light bulbs. I have reuseable totes to take to the grocery store to save on paper and plastic. Had our own garden and do canning, freezing and drying of the produce. Also glean where allowed and have been known to dumpster dive! Always learning – more natural foods – more natural cleaners.
Recycling and composting so far but want to do more.
We have painted the entire house with no VOC paint. We installed a new tankless hot water heater, we have super insulated, we recycle as much as possible, we buy local, and I am a Redesigner which is totally green!
We grow our own food in an organic garden as much as possible. We try to purchase locally. We compost, recycle, re-use, buy used clothes, cloth diaper, re-usable rags/towels instead of paper, use energy saving light bulbs (but are hoping to replace those soon because of the dirty electricity they produce) and we use environmentally friendly cleaners. We are trying. Since we live in the Seattle area we have a lot of rain water. Our next project is trying to harvest some of that water with a rain water collection system. Now I just need to get the hubby on board.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” This saying actually came out of the depression years. I remember my grandmother quoting it all of the time.
We’ve switched to compact flourescents. I’ve always turned off lights when I leave a room. Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money, and it was a way for us to cut costs. I’ve switched to eco-friendly cleaners and recycled products where possible, I’ve also started using natural sprays on my roses and herbs.
I make my own cleaning sprays with essential oils, rain barrels, light bulbs, composting, recycle paper, cans, plastics and what ever else I can find. Use non toxic paints, make my own laundry soap, unplug unused items, keep the heat down at night and when away. Stopped using plastic water bottles, wash at night or weekends, mow my yard with the bag on to compost the leaves…use clothes lines to dry clothes. My cleaning service uses clean cleaning supplies…Nancy
We bought a composter and recycle all food scraps and it makes a great fertilizer for our vegetable garden. We also recycle all plastics, glass, paper and aluminum. Participated in the save energy program by LIPA and replaced our old oil burner with an energy efficient gas burner. We replaced most of the light bulbs in our home with energy efficient light bulbs. I painted my Daughters room with no VOC paint. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Use cleaners that are made of organic materials and purchase organic milk and food when it is available.
My husband and I recycle and reuse just about everything we possibly can, we have a large veggie garden and compost, and I make shopping bags out of no longer worn clothing instead of using paper or plastic bags
We have gone green in our home, by recycling, using eco friendly bulbs, go green bags for grocery shopping, as well as eliminating bottle water in our home.
We recycle everything we can. We use cfl’s.
Let me count the ways. Recycling, grow my own garden, mulch and compost, replace appliances with ones with Energy Star ratings, CFL's and LED's throughout the home, buy used most everything, re-purpose items into a different use not originally intended for. Follow the mantra; reduce, reuse, recycle AND re-purpose!
We went Green in our home when we used window tint on the french doors to cut glare and heat rays. We also chose cork flooring in the kitchen and tile flooring in the bathrooms. When replacing builder appliances, we hunted for energy efficient models. And whenever possible we select LED lighting through out the house. The selection is growing each year in LED lighting.
We have been making this transition gradually. Living in a rural area now we think before just taking off on errands in order to make our trip more productive, at home…sorting trash for recycle, buying sustainable and safer cleaning products (or making our own), put new more energy efficient windows and doors on our home, purchase local foods as much as possible, turn the thermostat down, compost garden waste, use our mulched leaves as flower bed and garden mulch…I love thinking of and implementing ways to conserve and save while promoting a better life for the future.
We recycle, take the newspapers that they just wont stop sending us to recycling or give it to the local animal shelter per their request, drink water from a water bottle instead of plastic bottles, we used a low VoC eco-friendly paint when we painted our dining room this year and plan to continue that trend, we tend to purchase eco-friendly household cleaners or just use vinegar, i use tea and coffee to dye my hair some times or natural brands, we don't buy products that have been tested on animals or have animal products in them usually, when we get furniture we buy used, from friends, or try to find products that are made with sustainable products, we bought a shower curtain that lacked a certain chemical or two that have carcinogenic properties, and when we buy fabric (curtains or even clothes) we try to buy organic cotton, and lastly, we belong to a campus gardening community in which we grow our own vegetables/fruits and support local farmers. Many oher things we do but we continue to learn new ways to stay or go green all the time and plan to continue the trend = ) But, this 'trend' isn't new either. My dad and his parents already were trying to be green so I learned from them.
I re purpose or reuse just about anything i can. I feel everything should have at least 2 lives. to support this i buy about 85 % of my clothes from resale Shops or garage sales save Money and the planet
I only use environmentally responsible, safe, and green cleaning products. All products used in our home are from Melaleuca and have been since my now 10 year old was 2. We also recycle and have compost/food waste added to our yard waste as an option here in Seattle so… our family of 4 has less than one bag of garbage per week. When building our new carport, we used reclaimed wood and whenever any rennovations need to be made, we search the salvaged building materials stores 1st.
I could be doing soooo much more especially to help inspire my kids to go green in this environmentally aware world. We recycle, use low energy lightbulbs, shop thrifty, and try to reuse as much as possible but not enough to where I feel we are doing our part. Small steps.
Portland, Oregon – Metro Paint! Recycled paint collected during the neighborhood Hazardous Waste collection events. Last I saw it was rated tops as the greenest paint.