Kelly's Healthy Home

Over the last few years, many of us are updating and transforming our homes. Putting money, time and personal touches into our current home, rather than moving is a trend I’ve seen in my own neighborhood and clients. This is one of the benefits of owning a home right, making it yours! I was excited to see this new study showing a growing trend in consumers choosing sustainable options for kitchen updates. This is exactly WHY I started this blog- to educate and inspire making your home more sustainable.

The 2024 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study found that 91% of respondents chose at least one sustainable option for their kitchen renovation, with 71% citing the cost-effectiveness of the choice as a reason, 55% environmentally friendly and 13% for health reasons. I can’t deny my frustration at only 13% referencing health reasons, but I think that’s more because people aren’t educated around the importance of choosing healthy materials.

Check out the top sustainability features:

•    LED lightbulbs (67%)
•    Energy-efficient appliances (62%)
•    Timeless design (47%)
•    Light dimmers (47%)
•    Water-efficient fixtures (32%)
•    Energy-efficient windows (28%)
•    VOC-free paints, finishes, and coatings (22%)
•    Eco-friendly flooring (16%)
•    Eco-friendly materials (13%)
•    Nontoxic, sustainable cabinets (11%)
•    Recycled materials (6%)
•    Hired an eco-focused professional (3%)

Energy efficiency is also important in choosing appliances, with 22% of respondents saying it’s a primary factor. This is important as it helps with long terms utility bills and overall budget.

From the list above, I’m surprised to see only 22% are choosing VOC free paints. Low to no VOC paints are easy to come by, affordable and really important to choose over traditional paint. They are paint options that are better for you, yet could be harder to find or pricier, such as mineral based paints. If you can go that route, please do. Choosing paints with less chemicals is good for both the person painting and the people living in the home (which could be the same person!). As a reminder, paints that use VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are harmful to our bodies and the environment due to their polluting chemicals. The EPA reports that VOCs can lead to adverse health effects like eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, allergies and may even damage your liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Not good.

More options from the list that are good for sustainability and the health of your home are choosing eco-friendly materials and flooring. Both are a great way to improve your indoor air quality. If you need to change out the flooring (again, reuse is best for sustainability- use what you have), aim for solid wood, natural linoleum, cork, bamboo, tile and stone. If you are blessed with lovely hardwoods, refinish with water based finish. We used Marmoluem in our laundry/powder room renovation and I love it. For other materials, one thing we did was to repurpose wood to create open shelving and painted our solid cabinets instead of replacing. For countertops, look for reclaimed wood or quartz options. Other materials to consider changing out are also what you are actually cooking with. Maybe it’s time for a refresh in pots and pans or cooking utensils.

Hopefully these idea gets you thinking about some tweaks you can do that don’t involve a complete renovation too. As light bulbs go out, switch to LED. As appliances die, look for the most energy efficient options. Small steps will reap rewards. If you want more ideas or a one on one consultation to make your kitchen or other rooms more happy & healthy, please contact me.