When building or renovating a house, it's important to look for finishes that are long lasting and well made.  Equally as important are the materials that are used to create these finishes.  If you are like me, you want to introduce healthy, safe, non-toxic finishes into your home - not just finishes that are beautiful but practical as well - and you don't want to have to pay a fortune to get a look. Her's a sneek peak inside the design process that provides some helpful hints and ideas:

When former NAHB President Randy Noel of Reve, Inc., built the Sustainable Home in Luling,LA, he wanted to make sure that this affordable home had style as well as the safest home products and finishes on the market. He enlisted Jillian Pritchard Cooke of Wellness Within Your Walls to make sure every decision made on the home considered the environment, energy conservation and sustainability.

Here are a few things finishes and products that Randy added with Jillian's OK:

1. Randy used LG appliances in the kitchen.  LG believes in a shared responsibility for the planet and is committed to sustainability and  "ensures .....strive for minimal environmental impact while staying faithful to the values of its(sic) customers, business partners, employees and communities." Their goal is "to reduce greenhouse gases in the pre- and post-production stages by 150,000 tons and 30,000,000 tons, respectively, by 2020."

I LOVE the door in door technology of this LG refrigerator  -

and the price ($3599):

 

2. Below are the finish schedules for the house which included safe, non-toxic and Wellness Within Your Walls Approved finishes for the Kitchen, Master Bathroom and Family Room.  All paints are low or no VOC, all finishes are natural and stainless and all wood products are from sustainable forests.  The fireplace is electric and the house is smart wired so that you can turn your fireplace on before you even get home from work (or a walk in the park if you are staying home).

I hope everyone has a chance to get to go on the Parade of Homes Tour this weekend, July 18 and 19, and that you get to Luling to learn that sustainable design does not have to cancel out taste or style.  

Have a nice weekend and stay safe and healthy!

xo,

Grace