Product Description

With more than 150 color photographs, comprehensive text, and extensive resource lists of recommended products, manufacturers, and retailers, Good Green Kitchens is a must-have-whether taking small steps to a green kitchen, or planning a thorough remodel. This newest book from green living advocate, Jennifer Roberts, is loaded with inspiration and information for creating a dream green kitchen. What makes a kitchen green? Good Green Kitchens shows that eco-friendly design is a continuum that's shaded from light to dark green. At the light green end are easy-to-do steps such as choosing less polluting paints or selecting energy-efficient appliances. At the darker green end are strategies like using certified or reclaimed wood, consciously choosing to simplify or downsize, or using the kitchen project as a launching point for greening the whole house. Good Green Kitchens gives the low-down on what's green and what's not when it comes to kitchen design. It includes: up-close profiles of beautiful, green kitchens and the people who created them; tips for environmentally responsible redecorating, remodeling, and building from the ground up; in-depth chapters on greener alternatives for floors, cabinets, countertops, and appliances; strategies for greening the whole house; tips for keeping costs in check; and much more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #496419 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

The Los Angeles Times, June 1, 2006
This is an encyclopedia of great ideas on how to build a kitchen with a conscience.

About the Author
Jennifer Roberts launched two retail stores in San Francisco specalizing in environmentally sensible consumer products, including household goods; amd is freelance writer and editor on topics that include energy-efficient building design and systems.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Let's talk about what's underfoot. Whether it's antique chestnut planks in a farmhouse, cool ceramic tiles in a bungalow by the beach, or artfully stained concrete in an airy downtown loft, the right floor can make a kitchen.
With so many beautiful flooring options available, how do you choose what's right for your kitchen? Start by becoming aware of what you want and expect from your floor: style, feel, cost, durability, maintenance, and other general characteristics. Once you have a handle on your preferences, use the Checklist for Choosing a Green Floor to understand what green means when it comes to flooring. Then turn to the descriptions of flooring materials to learn more about what's best for your kitchen.
Wood & Bamboo Floors
You can't beat wood floors for their beauty, natural look and good feel underfoot. There's a wood floor to complement every style of kitchen, whether it's blond maple in a contemporary townhouse, warm cherry in a suburban colonial, or hickory planks in a rustic weekend retreat.
Wood floors are available to suit a wide range of budgets, although the greenest options-such as antique floorboards or FSC-certified products-generally cost more than the low-price products available from home-improvement centers and conventional flooring retailers. Be aware of potential hidden costs of some of the less expensive options, such as urea formaldehyde glues offgassing into your home, or environmental damage resulting from unsustainable or even illegal logging activities.
If your budget is limited and you can't afford an FSC product or refinished antique planks, don't despair. Check under your existing floor covering: many owners of older homes are pleasantly surprised to find beautiful old fir or pine floorboards hidden beneath their existing kitchen floors. Assuming the floorboards aren't badly deteriorated, they can be sanded and finished at relatively low cost. Also check local building reuse centers: many sell bargain-price floorboards that were removed from deconstructed old homes, gymnasiums and warehouses; while the labor to refinish and install the old wood may be considerable, if you're a well-seasoned DIYer it could be an economical option.

Customer Reviews

Green design anyone can afford
Planning a kitchen remodel is overwhelming--there are thousands of choices you have to make about every little detail. And on top of that, you have to worry about whether the products you use will destroy forests, contribute to our fuel dependency, pollute, off-gas, etc.

This book does an excellent job of making the decisions simpler. During a time when every company is marketing themselves as green, this book provides a neutral resource for assessing the environmental impact of each of the items you purchase. It also covers the even greener option of re-using and re-purposing items for your kitchen, saving money and reducing your footprint. The pictures of the kitchens prove that a green kitchen can be beautiful and a joy to work in.

A reviewer claimed that this book is "greenwashing" but that word has clearly been misapplied. This book sticks to the subject at hand and doesn't get off topic telling you how to cook and eat and live your life--that's a plus.

Green is beautiful
... and so is this book. It's packed with beautiful kitchens and guidelines on choosing the greenest items for your reno or build. Green includes considering the manufacture, transport, durability, recyclability and health effects of the materials or appliances.
There are 5 sections: an overview lays down general principles and considerations for affordability. Ch. 2 considers Flooring, Ch 3.is Storage (cabinets etc.), Ch. 4 is Counters and Walls. For each there is a table summarizing the pros and cons of the options, as well as more detailed text that will explain how it's made, if it can be recycled, whether it presents health concerns, etc. I found this text to be quite comprehensive. The final section considers energy use by major appliances (fridge, freezer, cookers, hood ventilation), water use (dishwashers, sinks, water heating, filtration and gray water), and cleaning (recycling, garbage, compost, and cleaners). There are sources listed in each section.
The only annoying thing was that a few brands seemed to be "pushed" -- mentioned with great frequency in picture captions and text. Perhaps that reflects the lack of competing green brands, however.
Bottom line: definitely worth getting if you are doing a kitchen reno or building a new house.

Best green kitchen resource
I found Good Green Kitchens to be an excellent resource. The information is comprehensive, unbiased, and clearly presented. It's also a great read and beautifully put together. The mix of reference information, case studies, and design tips works very well. I think that the quality of content is far better than most other home design books.