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So your counter-tops are looking a little worn, your oven’s not cooking like it used to and the linoleum on the floor’s starting to buckle. It may be time for a kitchen makeover, but before you get the catalogues out, consider a more eco-friendly plan of action. There are lots of ways you can modernise your kitchen whilst still respecting the environment these days, and energy-saving measures can save you money as well. Here are some tips on how to give your kitchen an eco-friendly update…

Install green appliances

Most white goods in the kitchen are now made with energy-efficiency in mind. If you want to cut your energy use, monthly bills and impact on the environment all in one go, greener appliances are a good deal.

Refridgerators: Old fridges are big culprits for wasting energy. Look for newer fridge-freezers with an Energy Star Rating, and check out features like adjustable temperature settings in specific compartments for things like fish and meat. Also consider the size and habits of your household: how much room do you really need?

Cookers: In addition to the standard grill-cooker-hob combination, there are now many appliances which reduce energy usage as you cook. Match the size of the appliance to the size of the meal and looking into products like slow cookers, convection ovens and toaster ovens for energy-efficiency.

Dishwashers: While dishwashers generally save more water than washing by hand, some are more efficient than others and all add to your energy bill. Again, check the Star Rating and features such as a delayed timer, which will allow you to run the load on cheaper electricity during the night.

Make use of recycled materials

Almost every part of your kitchen’s décor can be manufactured more sustainably. If you’re replacing the floor, tiles or counters, you might want to think about the materials you buy.

Countertops: Glass is a popular material for incorporating into kitchen counters; using recycled glass chips mixed into resin, this reduces waste and looks distinctive as well. Alternatives include paper, again mixed in resin and made heatproof and stain resistant. This is a good choice if you’re on more of a budget.

Flooring: Those who like the wooden look could try bamboo as an alternative to wooden flooring. This fast-growing resource is better adapted to replenish itself than many other types of wood. If it has to be oak or cherry, try floorboards made from reclaimed or recycled lumber.

Tiling: Tiles can consist of anything from ceramic to metal but go green by swapping new ones for tiles made with reclaimed clay pots and vases, or an aluminium backsplash of old soda cans.

The good news is that by making any or all of these adaptations, your home may qualify for a better LEED rating by the US Green Building Council, which will put you in a good position if you need to sell in the future.

Tim Longstone writes about home and décor for the eco-conscious consumer and is currently working on making his home garden ‘greener’…

Photos© by Suzy Spence, used under Creative Comms license

Designer Sebastian Bergne created last year for Luceplan brand a striking lighting object that expresses complex design thinking where form and function are well balanced. This results into creative, highly original shape that seems to pay tribute to art and practicability in the same time.

“Curl”, as it was entitled, is a table lamp with a futuristic design in the form of a half-moon for indoor use. The Curl lamp consists of a special LED module, that allow the user, through a simple rotation of the diffuser, to vary the temperature of the white light, from 2400 to 3500 degrees Kelvin. A dimmer function has also the switch at the center of the base. When the lamp isn’t lit, it’s a stylish white, semicircular object, but when it’s on, “Curl” is very bright, creating a diffused light in the rest of the room. The light, which comes from its base,  illuminates the body in die-cast aluminium, which acts as a reflector due to the opaque technopolymer injection molding. Very interesting, isn’t it?

Synonymous with innovative faucet designs, Brooklin-based firm Watermark Designs has been the leading producer of decorative plumbing fixtures, lighting and elegant hardware, and bathroom accessories for the luxury commercial and residential segment, for more than three decades.

Over time, they worked with some of the world’s finest designers and architects producing remarkable high-quality products and original collections specifically customized to meet client’s precise specifications. Their success is largely due to an intelligent combination of sustainable hands-on designs with an eye towards architectural detail, and state-of-the-industry equipment.

Drawing inspiration from the surrounding nature, Watermark Designs pushes the edges of faucet innovation and design by enveiling their latest collection of faucet handles entitled “Zen Collection”. The original-looking collection is really something completely new in faucet design, because they were able to utilize rocks and stones in ways never used before.  It’s contains quartz faucet handles, carved by Stone Forest, and rocks hand-picked from the shores of  the Great Lakes in Michigan, ideal to create a spa-like bathroom interior, warm and very inviting. A favorite rock garden of Avi Abel’s was the inspiration in designing the appealing “Zen Collection”.

The idea was to make faucet handles that would be similar to the counter or vanity material as possible, to blend in beautifully that you almost could not tell where the vanity ended and the handles began, so rocks and stone were the perfect choice. The handles are secured to counters using rare earth magnets, eliminating in this way the need to use set screws and improving the look of these handles. Moreover, the shapes of the rocks are rather irregular, so this contributes even more to their organic and natural appearance they have. Therefore, the quartz stone handles seamlessly integrate into the look of the counter, thing that isn’t possible with a traditional brass or nickel handle.

The “Zen Collection” of handles is available for any Watermark Designs faucet in any configuration, giving designers virtually hundreds of design options. The stones are available in the following colors: Ice White Onyx, Honey Onyx, Nero Marquinha, Carrara Marble and Multi-Color; while the rock colors are: Winter Morning, Harvest Light Beige, Mountain Midnight Dark and Harvest Dark.

For more faucet designs with distinguished look, check out also the KLUDI BOZZ line.

 Photos © Watermark Designs

“Psychiko House” is a modern and striking private residence exhaling simple sophistication. Envisioned by London and Athens-based firm Divercity Architects, it’s situated on the same property as the existing family home,  in Psychiko, an affluent suburb of the capital of Greece, Athens. The single storey Psychiko House, which spreads over 600 m2 on a 1000 m2 site, was completed last year and the results are amazing. It incorporates interesting architectural features that plays with scale and light, exploiting the tension between conflicting elements -curves juxtaposed with angular geometry, opaqueness and transparency, openness and intimacy.

Designed to offer maximum freedom of movement and flexibility, the exquisite residence is a playful environment of lights and shadows, with attractive, simple and rigurous volumes, where three different, large living zones are distinguished: a stone core inspired by the defensive rock of the Acropolis, an amphitheatrical upper floor, imagined as a pair of binoculars framing the expansive city views, and a transparent living area that occupies the space between them. Each area is linked with with the other through ribbon running through the site.

Because the owners are passionate about cars and art, the first zone houses the gallery for the owners collection of vintage cars and modern art. The amphitheatre -like upper floor comprisies the private areas of the home and a transparent and fluid living area, which occupies the space between them. The Psychiko House is sheltered from the surrounding buildings to the south through an opaque, linear, stone-clad boundary wall with views towards the intimate pool that follow the shape of the site and the structure.

The curving pool connect the front and the back of the residence and offers the chance of shared space  with the house next to it.  Finally, as it becomes wider, it forms the living space of the residence, which offers a dramatic expansive view of Olympic Park below. The interior spaces are filled with plenty of natural light during daytime thanks to floor-to-ceiling, framless windows, glazed partitions, skylights, and slatted blinds. High-quality materials and great execution ensure an astonishing modern, minimalist interior design. Check out these wonderful images below to discover more design details.

Photos © Erieta Attali

Project details:

Project name: Psychiko House
Architects: Divercity Architects
Location: Psychiko, Athens, Greece
Collaborators: Alkestie Skarlatou, lighting designer; Manos Vordonarakis, industrial design consultant; Sophia Vantaraki, space consultant.
Client: private, 1st prize in invited architectural competition
Project status: Complete, 2012
Site area: 1000m²
House area: 600m²
Design: 2007-2009
Construction: 2009-2012