Green kitchen design has come a long way in a short time. Only a few years ago, when “green” was at its buzzword peak, using sustainable material here and there satisfied many homeowners. A truly green kitchen, however, features careful holistic design that enables a healthy family lifestyle along with saving energy and the planet. Formaldehyde-free, low VOC material are common these days.

1. Take Your Time Planning : To create a green kitchen, thoughtful and enduring designs and products must take precedence over size and trendy features.
2. Make It Ageless: Ripping out one green kitchen and putting in another one every few years is a waste of energy and resources. To be a truly green a kitchen not only has to have energy efficient appliances and planet friendly features, it must be designed to withstand the test of time.
3. Say No To VOCs: Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are chemicals that off-gas (release into the air) at room temperature and they can pose long-term health problems. Make sure all products you are using are no-VOC or low VOC if possible.

1. Ventilate: Indoor air may be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air and we spend 90 percent of our time inside. Therefore the design of your kitchen should include sources for energy efficient natural ventilation.
2. Light It Up: Get creative with lighting and try something reclaimed from antique library sconces to factory and ship lights or even upside down baskets
3. Insulate: Thermal comfort is really important to human health and happiness, so if you are opening up walls to renovate, definitely insulate tightly while you have the walls open. Replace old windows and seal all the air gaps.

1. Salvaging and re-purposing older items add patina and style to new kitchen. There are many local sources for used old countertops, doors, hardware, plumbing, cabinetry and even appliances.
2. Plan For A Power Strip: Plugging several countertops appliances into a single power strip allows you to turn them off easily before leaving the house. You use so much energy just by leaving them plugged in.
3. Wood: Wood floors are beautiful and adds a certain style you can’t get with any other material. If you want wood floors and still want to be green there are options like using reclaimed woods for your floors saves it from the landfill and gives your home a unique look.