There are so many reasons for you to remodel your kitchen. First of all, it’s a massive point of interest for potential buyers, which is why it significantly contributes to the overall resale value of your home. When done properly, it can return as much as 60 to 80 percent of the initial investment. However, if you were to go with an eco-friendly remodel, the efficiency of this project may be even greater. Aside from this, it also reduces the carbon footprint of your home, which makes your overall lifestyle much greener. With that in mind, here are six ways to remodel your kitchen in an eco-friendly fashion.
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Cabinets and islad designs
The first thing you need to understand is the fact that the material plays a huge role in the overall eco-friendliness of your kitchen. Due to the fact that there are so many wooden, stone, tile and marble elements, this is something that could determine how green your kitchen is. Naturally, the more you can utilize eco-friendly materials, the better. We’re of course talking about bamboo, scrap wood and cork. Aside from this, using reclaimed materials is always a huge plus, yet, it may also increase the cost of your kitchen by quite the margin. On the other hand, this too depends on your ambitions for the remodel and with enough research, you can easily find a more frugal eco-friendly option.
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Lighting
The second thing you need to understand is the fact that your kitchen needs efficient lighting in order to become as practical as possible. First of all, you need some ambiance lighting, especially if you’re going to combine the kitchen with the dining room area. Moreover, doing dishes may not be a task that requires that much light, yet, some tasks like meal preparation probably require task lighting. Fortunately, this is the simplest area in which you can go green, due to the fact that all you have to do is switch to LED. The way in which this works is fairly simple, due to the fact that LED has a better Watt-to-Lumen ratio. In other words, it uses less power to generate the same amount of light.
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Power-saving appliances and fixtures
Your kitchen is one of the rooms that consumes electricity and uses a large amount of water, meaning that it’s one of the greatest culprits for your home’s utility bill. So, in order to improve this feature, you should probably look for power-saving appliances and low-flow fixtures. When it comes to fixtures, looking for a more efficient faucet for your sink is, more or less, all that you have to do. On the other hand, it’s somewhat harder to look for suitable appliances. This is also something that requires a substantial investment. On the other hand, there’s no reason why you should get all you need in an instance (unless you’ve applied for a credit and have all the necessary funding on your hands at the moment).
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A touch of luxury
The next thing you could try out is setting a bit different tone for your kitchen by introducing a fireplace. This is especially smart if you aim to make it into a dual-purpose room. However, you need to understand that, classy as they are, these fireplaces aren’t exactly planet-friendly. Instead, you should look for electric fireplaces which are a decent compromise, when it comes to this issue. The way in which this makes your kitchen greener is by reducing its carbon impact. Sure, these fireplaces are still massive consumers of electricity; nonetheless, traditional fireplaces that consume fossil fuels are significantly worse.
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Make a recycling center
The above-listed four tips are definitely a way to make your kitchen spend a bit less power; however, in order to make it into an embodiment of this green trend, you need to take it one step further. We’re of course talking about making a recycling center. This way, if you ever decide to sell the place, you get to ensure that each subsequent owner of this kitchen has a much easier job of following these planet-friendly trends. Needless to say, this is a field that will allow you to express your full creativity but if you feel stuck, it might be for the best to just look for some ideas online.
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A breeze of fresh air
In the end, you need to keep in mind the fact that if your kitchen is going to become an embodiment of environmentalism, you also need to work on the ambiance in the room. First, you have to understand the fact that the efficiency of your AC unit and range hood both regulate the temperature and impact the energy consumption. Next, you should never underestimate the importance of regularly airing the room. This is why replacing your windows with a more convenient option might be a good idea.
Conclusion
When it comes to the issue of eco-friendliness, it’s important to keep in mind that you need to have a reference point. Sure, a low-power appliance is a vast improvement over a regular one, yet, assuming that you can make your kitchen zero-energy (at least without the use of solar panels) is simply unrealistic. This is why you need to do some research prior to making your plans so that you know where you should set your goals.
