Laura Birns Design - Magazine Article Recycled Resplendence

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.: Better Homes And Gardens Kitchen and Bath Ideas, May/June 2008 'GREEN WE ENVY'
.: San Diego At Home Magazine - April 2008 'GREENER PASTURES'
.: Better Homes And Gardens Kitchen and Bath Ideas, May/June 2007 'GREEN GETAWAY'
.: San Diego At Home Magazine - April 2007 'GOING GREEN'

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san diego at home magazine cover April 2008

GREEN WE ENVY-
'Yes, this kitchen is environmentally friendly, but it's also
a colorful and contemporary gathering space
anyone would love to have.'
- featured in Better Home and Gardens Magazine, Kitchen and Bath Ideas, May/June 2008

(left)
Special Section: Dream in Green
Written By: Lynn Meredith Schreiber
Photographer: Ed Gohlich
Field Editor: Andrea Caughey

Susan Drawdy's new San Diego kitchen may be green, but a bold burgundy range powers the color scheme.

"I said, 'Could we put a color in there?'" Susan recalls asking interior designer Laura Birns. "I never thought it would work, but it's absolutely beautiful."

Birns had assumed stainless-steel appliances would be smashing in the eco-friendly kitchen, but her client's call for color took the design to a totally new and beautiful place. When Birns found the deep red professional-grade range, she new it's warm yet dynamic color would energize the contemporary-style space. "It so sets off the other colors" Birns says. "It picks up the reds and woods, offsets whites and blues, and plays off the metal and materials in the warmest way."

The result is a fun kitchen where friends get in on the cooking action by gathering around a painter's-palette-shape countertop attached to an internally illuminated island, which glows a cool electric blue. "I like friendly forms," Birns says of the curvy counter. "It's a french curve revisited, pretty sexy-looking."

The kitchen and adjacent eating area accommodate Susan and her two children, Austin and Tucker, as well as women-only nights and large family gatherings. But there's more to the space than funky color and fun atmosphere.

better homes and gardens article about green design

(above)
Burgundy cooking appliances and a backlit-in-blue island
fill Susan Drawdy's new contemporary-style kitchen with
fun color, while eco-friendly elements reflect a green
design philosophy.

(above)
The burgundy range, good, and wall
oven complement the reddish-brown
tones in the cabinetry, featuring
striated veneers.

green design kitchen

(above)
The L-shape island houses two sinks,
including this two-basin model. Blue
flecks in the recycled-glass counter-
tops echo the glass backsplash tile
across the room.

Virtually every part of the kitchen is environmentally friendly. Birns, who specializes in green design, says the space is a great example of what you can do to conserve the Earth's resources without sacrificing style or high-end details.

For example, two skylights capture Southern California's abundant sunshine to illuminate the space by day. For evenings and cloudy days, Birns installed recessed ceiling fixtures with dimmer switches, low-voltage halogen pendants, and fluorescent lighting above and below al the cabinets.

To cut down on water use, Birns included two dishwashing options--a pair of energy-efficient drawers for everyday loads, and a full-size unit reserved for large dinner parties. Similarly, Birns added refrigerator and freezer drawers to supplement the main refrigerator. Because the drawers are smaller and use less energy than the main unit, it's not as much of a concern when the boys repeatedly open and close them in search of snacks. For convenience in heating snacks, Birns placed the microwave oven directly above the drawers.

The cabinetry is made of wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), meaning it was harvested from managed, sustainable forests. The countertops and backsplash are made of recycled glass, while the paints are low in- or free of- volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Flooring was carved from a striated aspen tree that grew in a managed forest. "It uses 85 percent of the tree," Birns says of the flooring. "Other woods use only 30 percent, so this is minimal waste, and the waste is composted. I feel good after I do these things."

Even the furniture in the kitchen is environmentally friendly. The island's lighted front panels are made of recyclable colored resin produced with no off-gassing--release of volatile chemicals into the air. The lighting is fluorescent. Birns also designed an upholstered bench for the eating area using sustainable material containing no polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Susan is thrilled that her kitchen includes elements designed to conserve natural resources - and that she didn't have to compromise looks or function to incorporate them. The result is a green kitchen that doesn't look green. To Susan and her family, it's a kitchen first. Everything else is a bonus.

"This is the area the we live in constantly," Susan says. "You're initially hit by the beauty of the kitchen, and then when you look around and see all the subtle details, you appreciate it more and more."

FSC certified wood, veneer accents
(above)
For convenient meal preparation, the cooking wall
is opposite the island's second sink. All of the wood
in the kitchen comes from sustainable forests.
floorplan

sustainable wood from managed forest used in this design

green materials used in design
(above)
The mix of green materials includes recycled-glass counters and tile, and door panels impregnated with reeds.

wood from managed forests used in design
(above)
The cooking wall leads to a tucked-away pantry.

dream in green
You can make your kitchen eco-friendly without loosing function, sacrificing style, or breaking the budget. Interior designer Laura Birns offers these tips. Use paints that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These versions release fewer pollutants and create less odor Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, and install dimmer switches on light fixtures where practical. Choose cabinetry made of wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as sustainable. Purchase appliances bearing the Energy Star label, which means they use less water and energy than standard models. Throw out kitchen cleaning supplies that contain toxic chemicals and switch to natural products, which are safer and often just as effective. Recycle kitchen waste, and include a place for recyclables in the layout. Ask your designer about other materials--such as countertops, tile, and flooring--that come from recycled or sustainable sources.