When you begin to design or redesign your ideal kitchen, many factors play a role in the design process. If you are a person who is conscientious about the environment and your impact on it, this is chief among those deciding factors. So, as you proceed with your kitchen design planning and work, get to know some of the ways that you can incorporate environmentally friendly design elements and items into your new kitchen. By doing so, you will design a beautiful kitchen with minimal environmental impact.
Repurposed Kitchen Cabinets
When designing your kitchen cabinetry, you do not always have to think within the strict parameters of new items purchased from a home design store. You can mix, match, and re-purpose cabinet elements to create wholly unique and eco-friendly kitchen cabinetry.
You can go to antique stores, estate sales or auctions, or thrift store to look for items that you can use to create cabinets or doors. Look for items that are made of high-quality hardwoods and materials. Antique armoires or bookshelves can be re-purposed into mounted kitchen cabinets for example. Or, you can even find vintage kitchen cabinets if you look hard enough.
When you reuse and re-purpose vintage items to build your cabinetry, you are preventing new materials from being created, thus making your kitchen design project more eco-friendly. Additionally, this will help you to create a kitchen with a unique design all your own.
Energy Star Appliances
No kitchen design is complete without appliances. Your refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher all use and require energy to operate. This represents perhaps the biggest environmental impact your new kitchen will have.
However, if you purchase all of your appliances with a high Energy Star rating, this impact will be minimized. Energy Star is a government environmental program that tests and assesses products to record and evaluate the amount of energy they require for regular operation. The less energy the product uses the better.
Just because the appliances you buy are environmentally friendly, this does not mean you need to sacrifice style. Many Energy Star products are just as stylish as any other products on the market. Stainless steel refrigerators, flat-top stoves, and sleek dishwashers all come with Energy Star ratings, so do not think your design aesthetic has to suffer as a result of using these products.
Designing your new kitchen should be a fun and enjoyable task. And while you want to make your new kitchen as environmentally friendly as possible, remember that you can still be creative in your design process. Seeking the help of a professional, such as those at Stone Forest Kitchen & Bath Center, can also ensure your kitchen is as eco-friendly as possible.
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