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November 10, 2010

Green design is a top priority for Janice Donald, owner of Eren Design & Remodeling Co., Inc. in Tucson, AZ. “We care about the globe,” said Donald. “Homes make up a great deal of the consumption, especially in U.S., so we think about everything we do, including how we manage the debris we pull out. We don’t want it to end up in the dump if there’s something we can do with it. We want to model for others what’s possible.”

In order to serve as a model, Donald recently re-designed her own kitchen to be a showplace of green design. Donald and designer Kelly Potter, of Eren Design, spent months researching green products to feature. The remodel uses recycled glass tiles, reclaimed wood and compressed paper countertops, low-VOC paints, Energy Star appliances and Marmoleum floors, among other eco-friendly features (See “Green by Numbers” below, for a description of all of the green elements.). As a result, the project won a Green Remodeling Award for Excellence in Design and Construction from Hanley Wood and a gold Master Design award for a Green Remodel from Qualified Remodeler magazine.

In addition to being a showplace of green design, the space is also a working kitchen in Donald’s home. “We wanted the kitchen to be something to show our clients, but it also needed to be designed to function really well for my family,” said Donald. Her family includes her husband, four grown children, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren —and two large dogs. “All the family meals are at my house,” she said. “My kids all love to cook so we often have four cooks in the kitchen and we needed the space to do it.”

During the seven-month-long construction process, a dramatic change in the footprint of the kitchen and raising the floor of what was formerly the adjacent garage and breezeway changed the room’s flow and dramatically increased the amount of functional space. The resulting kitchen is an eco-friendly showplace that has vintage charm and modern amenities. “It’s sort of a contrast in eras,” said Donald. “Modern is very in right now, but the style of most of the kitchen is a more nostalgic feel. I wanted to create the feeling I got when I went to my grandma’s house.”

Sources
Designer: Janice Donald— Eren Design & Remodeling Co., Inc., Tucson, AZ; Manufacturers: Cabinetry: Bertch Custom Cabinets; Cabinet hardware: Eleek Inc.; Range, warming drawer and refrigerator: Thermador; Steamer: Gaggenau; Dishwasher: Bosch; Coffeemaker: Miele
Sinks: Rohl (main), Kohler (island);
Faucets: Whitehaus
Countertops: Eco-Top (perimeter), Craft-Art (island); Backsplash: Fireclay Tile, Oceanside Glasstile; Flooring: Forbo Flooring Systems; Lighting: Wilmette Lighting (fixtures), Watt Stopper/Legrand (controls); Tankless water heater: Rinnai America Corp.; Paint: Dunn-Edwards Paints; Insulation: Bonded Logic; Windows: Pella
Photography: Robin Stancliff

GREEN BY NUMBERS

Click to enlarge

[1] The custom cabinets are made with a formaldehyde-free wheatboard center panel on the doors and finished with low-VOC paint. The cabinet company also uses non-toxic soy-based glues and plywood from FSC-certified sources and has a long-standing corporate commitment to supporting reforestation.

[2] Energy-efficient halogen bulbs in the track and pendant lighting use significantly less energy than traditional incandescent lamps. Recessed lights are LED, the most efficient lighting available. “The halogens create a warm light and there are no dark pockets in the kitchen,” said Donald. The lighting is controlled by a sophisticated automated system that helps reduce consumption by allowing programmers to determine precise light levels necessary, rather than having all lights on all the time. “Each switch is fully dimmable and has memory so it turns on at the same level as you last used it,” said Donald.

[3] An Energy-Star-rated refrigerator is integrated in the cabinetry, appearing as if it is a black wooden hutch. “The fridge is totally hidden,” said Donald. “This sets it apart from all the other kitchens I’ve seen with stainless-steel fridges.” The warming drawer, located in the pantry, is also Energy Star-rated, while the range—though not induction—appeals to Donald’s sense of aesthetics:
“I love the design of that range with six burners and a griddle.”

[4] The kitchen features a variety of eco-friendly surfacing options. For example, a backsplash niche above the range is articulated with earth-toned ceramic tiles made from 62 percent recycled materials, as well as recycled glass mosaics. The black countertops are made from 50 percent bamboo fiber and 50
percent recycled paper and wood fiber. “I
didn’t want to put in granite because I knew how many miles that granite
would have to travel,” said Donald. “We tried like crazy to source all
of our products from west of the Mississippi so we weren’t
transporting.” Donald prefers to let the counters achieve an
aged patina in high-use areas, but a simple waxing would return their
sheen to luster.
[5] Also eco-friendly, the island countertop is made of reclaimed beech wood that was once the floor in a Vermont schoolhouse in the 1790s. “The countertop is absolutely beautiful and really easy to maintain,” said Donald. “I wipe it down once a week with white vinegar. It’s surprising how durable it is.”

[6] The countertop contains an in-counter steamer that is Donald’s favorite appliance. “I saw it at KBIS and I knew I wanted it,” said
Donald. “We wanted to do healthy eating and we can do fish, vegetables
and pasta in it. It’s plumbed so you can drain it—you never have to pick
up a pot if you’re making pasta.”

Click to enlarge



[7] The linoleum floor is made of natural products, including linseed oil. “The number one reason we chose it was for the green characteristics,” said Donald. “Secondly, Kelly and I had both used it in past jobs and were attracted to the material even though there’s not much of it being done.” Potter had a floor design in mind. “I loved that they had so many colors available and we could inject color and pattern into the floor to create an interesting design,” said Potter. “It’s also comfortable under foot. It doesn’t get hot or cold and your joints won’t hurt after standing on it for a long time.”

[8] The floral-imprinted cabinet door hardware is made from recycled pewter by Eleek. “All the plumbing fixtures are some sort of pewter finish, too, to evoke a certain era,” said Donald. One exception is the farmhouse-style sink, which was the first item Donald purchased for the project and whose fluted apron front adds to the kitchen’s cozy atmosphere. Located to its left is an Energy Star-rated dishwasher that is integrated into the cabinetry.


[9] All baseboards and window casings are recycled. After removing the trim from the original kitchen, our project manager milled them down to create the new trim in this kitchen. The Energy-Star rated windows are dual-paned and filled with low-E argon gas.

[10] Other highlights include: low-VOC paint, insulation (behind the walls‚ made of recycled blue jeans, and a tankless water heater that is 30 percent more energy-efficient than a standard gas-fired water heater.

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