Make your kitchen stylish AND sustainable

We here at Atlanta Granite Countertops want you kitchen to not only be stylish but sustainable. If you are building your kitchen and home towards the future, here’s what you need to know to make your kitchen both stylish and sustainable according to

APPLIANCES: Upgrade to Energy Star appliances, which can provide savings of anywhere from 10 to 50 percent in greenhouse-gas emissions, resources and energy costs according to the government agency’s website . To save more money, avoid the “bells and whistles,” such as in-door water and ice dispensers. Find out about possible rebate programs and incentives. Also, remember to “right-size it.” “Don’t get a giant refrigerator or six burners if you aren’t going to really use them, says Kipnis, pointing out that many gourmet kitchens remain under-utilized.

FAUCETS: Install efficient, low-flow water faucets that have the U.S. EPA’s Watersense label, indicating they have met government standards for water efficiency. Many faucets can be fitted with $10-$20 aerators that cut water usage. And don’t forget to turn off your water the second you are done using it.

WASTE: Kipnis is a strong believer that every kitchen should have a recycling center. He also thinks composting, which cuts down on waste, is a smart move and advises adding a holding area to the kitchen for refuse that can be treated in this manner. For more information, check www.compostguide.com.

CABINETS: Cabinetry is often the biggest expense when building new or remodeling a kitchen. “Though they range in cost, since prices can go from $20,000 to $120,000, they can certainly account for 50 percent of your budget,” notes Kipnis. Choose cabinets that are certified by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP), which gives companies tangible ways to support sustainability in every step of the manufacturing and distribution process and evaluates the end product through a point system. A list of certified companies can be found at its website and includes some of the biggest names in the industry. Also, choose wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which means it comes from a managed forest.

COUNTERTOPS: Use a solid surface material rather than tile, which requires grout and is harder to clean. Examples include granite and engineered stone such as CaesarStone, which is made of quartz, and recycled materials such as glass or shredded-paper products cast in resin. These are also nonporous, which helps stave off bacteria. Kipnis is partial to concrete, which is hard, durable, attractive and can be locally manufactured and personalized with interesting dyes and aggregates such as glass, mirrors, shells and more. Some use wood or butcher-block as built-in cutting boards though Kipnis warns they should “consider its source and make sure it is Formaldehyde-free.”

TILES: Use recycled tiles from a salvage yard (or closeout tiles bought at a deep discount) to create your own designs for a backsplash or even an entire wall. Recycled glass tiles come in myriad options today, but to be truly green, look for versions that are made with at least 30- to 40-percent post-consumer materials.

BACKSPLASHES: Tiles are an option, but this is also a chance to get creative. In a home located in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., that he designed for an Evanston couple, Kipnis used local river rock set in grout as a backsplash, and when remodeling a North Shore lakefront home, reused a beautifully patterned tin ceiling as a backsplash in the new kitchen.

FLOORING: Use tile, Linoleum, laminate or sustainable woods such as bamboo or cork. Linoleum, which is made of linseed oil (a renewable resource) and is hypoallergenic, is a great alternative thanks to its low cost, solid environmental benefits, care-free qualities and high style quotient. Kipnis likes Marmoleum, which is similar to Linoleum but is made from natural materials.

LIGHTING: The optimal kitchen has lots of natural light, but all kitchens are not optimally designed. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, and consider adding LED lighting if possible. Though both of these types of lighting are more expensive, both last longer and consume less energy. In the case of the LED bulbs, the costs are significantly more expensive but pay off in terms of longevity. “While CFLs average $4 to $5 a piece, LEDs cost about $100 each but come with a 50,000 hour rated life so you will virtually never have to replace them,” says Kipnis.