Green and/or Frugal Kitchen Remodel

[streuselmama]

We are planning to completely overhaul our kitchen this spring or summer, and I'm trying to make this as green and frugal as possible. I'm hoping you wise women can help me out!

Flooring: we're looking at bamboo, cork, marmoleum, or tile. Anyone btdt with the bamboo, cork or marmoleum? Tips?
Countertop: how green would a concrete counter be? Other suggestions?
Backsplash: I have NO ideas on this one. Can anyone suggest a green, frugal, and really great looking choice? Something a little out of the ordinary, even?

We're putting together the cabinets ourselves (from IKEA), and trying to find a low VOC paint. Any other things to keep in mind?

Thanks very much!!

[crl]

Hi,

There was a discussion not too long ago on bamboo flooring that veered into cork as well. I posted our postive experience with cork in the kitchen there. Here's the link: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ghlight=bamboo

Which IKEA cabinets are you using and can I beg you to post about your experience/results after you do it? We're contemplating a kitchen remodel in just over a year and I am really interested in the IKEA cabinets.

For countertop suggestions I recently saw an article in Sunset magazine that had green countertop suggestions. You might be able to find the back issue at your library? It was in the last month or two. One suggestion was bamboo.

I know there are tiles made of recycled glass. That could make a neat backsplash. May not be frugal though.

[Erin+babyAndrew]

there is a recycled form of countertop, a local place sells it, but I can't remember the name, I'll go google and come back with more info for you.
I found a pretty good article for you, hth
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/remod...y-kitchen.html

[stelly]

I got a book out of the library the other week about green kitchen design. It was very interesting. Gave the run down on all floor and counter choices and their pros and cons. Also a lot on restoring cabinets/fixtures rather than buying brand new.

If you want me to look the title up for you tomorrow, I can.

[2GR8KIDS]

These paper tiles are frugal and would make a cool backsplash- they also sound kinda green:

http://www.inhabitliving.com/detail.aspx?ID=849

[p.s]

we have bamboo on our kitchen floor and love it!
Bamboo is supposed to be green b/c it is renewable. We were frugal b/c we got it from an end lots warehouse.

our backsplash is travertine tile, which we really like. I don't think though it is very green b/c it is not American and req. petro use to be shipped here. I would think an American stone tile would be green.

If he had the time, DH would have loved to build our cabinets from reclaimed wood.

My favorite paint co is Farrow & Ball b/c of their pigments. Low VOC but not green b/c shipped to US.

I would recommend Natural Home magazine for lots of green ideas. There was a recent article on green kitchens.

[ItyBty]

Something I've been considering for my backsplash, that I think is green because it's recycling, is mosaic made with old plates and some bought from thriftshops, or donated by friends and family. Smash it up and tile away. DH thinks I'm nuts, but this is something I've wanted to do for a looooong time.

[duckie]

No advice on the other options, but just wanted to say on the Ikea cabs! We just redid our kitchen this fall, and it turned out great, I wouldn't change a thing! If you need more tips or ideas, Ikeafans.com is a great resource-they have all kinds of kitchen planning ideas and the folks give great advice on the boards.

[streuselmama]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the suggestions! You've given me lots to investigate. Maybe I'll post pics when we're done - if I can remember 3 months from now!

Stelly - I would love the title of that book, thanks!

We used IKEA cabinets when we remodeled our kitchen two houses ago, and I LOVED them. So easy to put together, my DH and I assembled all the cabinets in 1 day (mind you, this was pre-kids!). And we could very easily hang them too. I really was so happy with that kitchen remodel, we automatically went with IKEA cabinets again.

Thanks again, all!

[insahmniak]

I heard a rumor that concrete production has a great environmental cost. Let me find it....

From http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/ar...me=020201b.xml
(Bolding mine.)

Cement and concrete are vital components in building construction today. Concrete has many environmental advantages, including durability, longevity, heat storage capability, and (in general) chemical inertness. For passive solar applications, concrete’s ability to function as a structural element while also providing thermal mass makes it a valuable material. In many situations concrete is superior to other materials such as wood and steel. But cement production is very energy intensive—cement is among the most energy-intensive materials used in the construction industry and a major contributor to CO 2 in the atmosphere. To minimize environmental impact, therefore, we should try to reduce the quantity of concrete used in buildings, use alternative types of concrete (with fly ash, for example), and use that concrete wisely. The accompanying checklist provides practical suggestions for accomplishing these goals.

HTH

[sunnysideup]

We are currently remodeling our kitchen. We're using Ikea cabinets--we assembled them ourselves and then had a carpenter install them and do all the trim work. They are great! The carpenter liked them so much he's planning on using them in his own kitchen. I highly recommed the drawer dampers--catches the running drawer so it closes silently no slammed drawers.

We originally wanted to do concrete counters, but our carpenter discouraged us . He's had bad experiences with them. I guess the sealant doesn't always stay on well.

You can buy tile made from recycled glass or aluminum--cool looking stuff, but not all that frugal. good link with examples

A neat counter material is something called Paperstone--made from recylced paper. It looks really cool.

We are going to use Marmoleum on our floor. It's looks great and it's green. You could save money by getting the tiles and doing it yourselves.

[Merilin]

I have made good experience with IKEA, but would also suggest to check out older kitchens on craigslist.

Originally Posted by crl

For countertop suggestions I recently saw an article in Sunset magazine that had green countertop suggestions. You might be able to find the back issue at your library? It was in the last month or two. One suggestion was bamboo.

I have that issue at home, and could look up the details, if someone is interested.

Also, I would suggest looking into energy efficiency regarding stove, oven, and your fridge.

[stelly]

Good green kitchens: the ultimate resource for creating a beautiful, healthy and eco-friendly kitchen By Jennifer Roberts

[gr8tfulmom]

Check out Richlite for recycled paper and hemp countertops. Salvage companies would be a good place to look for getting a recycled countertop too.

[EviesMom]

Paperstone and Richlite are kind of pricey though. We're going to do Eco-Cement, which is cement mixed with recycled paper. We were trying to get our whole countertop out of one sheet, but it's inches too small, so we'll be doing 2 sheets and selling what's left probably. Or maybe using it for windowsills as it's water proof.

Another unusual countertop choice would be 3-Form's eco-resin. We're using it next to a stairwell, but I've seen it done on countertops in their showroom and it does look kinda cool.

[Kerlowyn]

Originally Posted by crl

Which IKEA cabinets are you using and can I beg you to post about your experience/results after you do it? We're contemplating a kitchen remodel in just over a year and I am really interested in the IKEA cabinets.

Check out my blog in my siggy. We just gutted our kitchen and installed an IKEA one. I have a new post to add later today, where we completed the side of the kitchen with the oven under a stainless steel counter top.

[melissa17s]

We have an Ikea "island"- a varde freestanding cabinet. It is great. We also have the butcher block wood counters from Ikea, and I really like them too. Some of the alternatives I looked into, and may still do for some areas of our kitchen... Stainless steel on top of the wood around the sink area... to make it cheaper, use flat sheet metal cut to fit counter top on top of plywood and trim with nice wood around edge. If you are willing to spend a bit more, have a metal fabicator bend edges, so you do not have to put on trim. Thick glass is another option. We have galvanized steel backsplash... I have to do something, but I will post more later.

[EStreetMama]

Originally Posted by ItyBty

Something I've been considering for my backsplash, that I think is green because it's recycling, is mosaic made with old plates and some bought from thriftshops, or donated by friends and family. Smash it up and tile away. DH thinks I'm nuts, but this is something I've wanted to do for a looooong time.

You could do this on backer board cut to fit the backsplash and then screw it onto the wall, so if you want to take it down for any reason or your husband hates it or you want to move...no big deal.

I love this idea...very cool.

[UmmBnB]

What about soapstone for countertops? I have no idea about whether or not it's "green" but dh has seen it used a couple of times and is impressed with what he's seen of it.

[SandyBeachBums]

We have the butcher block counters, too. My dh was able to cut these himself. You do have to keep them oiled and you cannot leave your wet dishes to dry on them. Make sure the caulk them well around the sink and such. My sil had hers split around the sink. I just oil them every few months or so when I feel like it, just to keep them pretty and water resistant.

We ripped the laminate off our cabinets because we couldn't afford to replace them yet. They were wood cabinets underneath and we painted them and threw away the laminate doors. Our cabinets were redone by one of those companies that puts on new laminate doors and laminates over the cabinets. They were horrid. Now they are red. We keep meaning to put curtains on them, but it just hasn't happened.

I would love to give a piece of advice if you want to be frugal. Just do a bit at a time. The novelty of having a new thing wears off after a year for me and then I'm onto fixing something new. My floors don't really match my kitchen but once we did the counters and painted it didn't bother me for almost two years. Now I've spent the last few months deciding what I would really like for the floors. It's been fun.