Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Kitchen Designs for a Greener Home

If you’re building a new home, chances are you’re already invested in green design and have chosen an architect with bona fide credentials in all things sustainable. If you’re purely renovating your existing kitchen then choose a kitchen designer who specialises in eco-friendly design.

Don’t be afraid to ask to see real-life examples of their work. Most architects and designers will have former clients who are only too willing to share insights from their design journey and to show off the finished result.

Don’t forget to do your own research as well. An internet search on ‘sustainable building materials and appliances’ will return a wealth of information on which are the most environmentally friendly products available in your marketplace.

We all secretly harbour the desire to have a magazine-worthy kitchen that’s all sleek surfaces and high-end appliances, so choosing reclaimed and/or salvaged materials to incorporate into your kitchen design may seem counterproductive.

However, embracing the Four Rs doesn’t mean the end result has to look ‘second hand’, as this kitchen by architect Belinda George, attests. There are a number of companies that specialise in repurposing high-quality cabinetry and worktops from renovated homes, meaning you may just get that higher-spec kitchen after all.

Similarly, ex-showroom display kitchens are constantly being offered at discounted prices, so shop around. Along with the kitchen, you can usually arrange for it to be professionally fitted into your home through the same company.

The ultimate eco-friendly option is to keep the carcasses of your existing kitchen and simply update the doors, drawer fronts, hardware and benchtops. This is particularly appropriate if the existing floorplan works for your needs.

Also, don’t forget to pay it forward. If you’re fully replacing your kitchen, look into the possibility of donating it to a charity such as Habitat for Humanity or giving it away on sites such as Neighbourly or Freecycle.

Nowadays it’s possible to opt for an eco-friendly version of just about anything you could want in your kitchen from cabinetry and flooring through to lighting and tiles, with some brands offering fully dedicated sustainable ranges.

Products such as composite worksurfaces and cabinet fronts usually contain a high amount of recycled content, and in many instances are also recyclable at the end of their life. Likewise, metals such as stainless steel, bronze and copper are not only highly durable they, too, are fully recyclable. Copper also offers antimicrobial properties that make it a desirable inclusion in any kitchen.

Meanwhile, traditional materials such as glass and terrazzo, along with manmade products like sintered stone and mineral-based quartzes are just some of the other sustainable options in the arsenal of kitchen design.

When it comes to choosing timber flooring, benchtops or cabinetry, look for FSC-certified products. Alternatively, both bamboo and cork are sustainable substitutes to traditional timber, while composites such as Melamine Faced Chipboard (MFC) and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) can contain a goodly amount of recycled materials, making them an eco-friendly contender.

However, if it’s a real sustainability statement you’re looking to make, then the latest range of Eco board products is where it’s at. These products, which have a negative carbon footprint, look similar to MDF, and are made from agricultural waste such as straw and wheat, rice, corn and cotton stalks, as well as tree twigs, branches and trimmings.

For a healthy interior environment, make sure to choose products that have no or very low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are present to a lesser or greater degree in a whole range of building materials and paints and adhesives, as well as furnishings and are released over time as these products succumb to wear and tear.

In higher concentrations, VOCs can have a detrimental effect on the environment and to your family’s health, so try to minimise, or avoid altogether, the number of VOC-producing products you use.

Likewise, avoid products that contain formaldehyde — which can be found in some pressed-wood products, foam insulations, synthetic fabrics and wallpaper adhesives and paints — as it has been shown, at high levels, to cause skin rashes, shortness of breath, wheezing and even changes in lung function.