Green Houses & “Green Homes”

Green landscape with the word concept in front These days, there is a huge push to make our homes more environmentally friendly. Not only is living in an eco-conscious house, condo, or apartment the ethical choice, but it’s actually easier on our wallets in the long run. From how we illuminate our homes to how we decorate them, there are more ways than ever for us to green our living spaces. When your dwelling is designed with natural, organic elements in mind, you end up saving money, energy, and the environment. Whether you’re starting from scratch and building your dream home, or you’re looking to make some changes to your current residence, there are some quick and easy things to keep in mind when transforming a space into a vibrant 21st century retreat.

Here are 5 ways to turn your home into a green home and  reduce your impact on the environment:

1. Start with a good plan

The key to a truly sustainable home starts in the design phase well before the first hole is even dug. Proper architecture will take in to account site conditions and terrain, as well as the position of the home on the property. With proper planning, homes can be oriented to take advantage numerous passive design benefits, including south-facing windows for warmth and cross-ventilation from natural wind currents to cool the home. Smart architecture will also incorporate efficient and multi-functional design elements within the home. This helps ensure that one’s comfort and spacious needs are met while reducing the home’s carbon (and literal) footprint on the earth.

2. From the ground up

The flooring of your home is one of the first things people see upon entering your house, and it’s your guests’ constant physical point of contact with your living space, so it’s important to have floors that are aesthetically impressive and physically durable. Bamboo, when farmed sustainably, is 13% stronger than maple, naturally resistant to water and mildew, and eco-friendly due to a faster maturity rate and higher yield than more common hardwood flooring options. If hardwood is a preferred choice, look to use reclaimed or salvaged woods, as these provide a home with great character will still offering great durability.

 

3. Let there be light

Never underestimate the power of a well-positioned skylight! Not only can it brighten up the darkest spots of your home with rejuvenating natural light, but it will help cut down on electrical bills. At Luxury Simplified, we occasionally advise our customers to remove walls in order to improve the flow of a room and allow more natural light to fill a home. If you’re looking for a less invasive way to increase your lighting and save the environment, switching just one incandescent bulb out for a compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED light will save over four hundred pounds of greenhouse gases! Better yet, install some sensor-activated CFLs at your home’s front door for convenience and to save electricity. Finally, consider installing rooftop solar panels (especially if you live in a city as sunny as Charleston!)

 

4. To the window, to the wall

Almost half of your home’s energy costs come from heating and cooling. Properly insulating your walls is key to energy-efficient climate control. Whether you’re building a new construction or retooling your current build, it will pay dividends later to ensure that your heat will not escape through the walls or windows of your home during the cold winter months. On the flip-side, to stay comfortable in the heat of summer, the slow-moving air from strategically placed ceiling fans can actually make a room or patio space feel 4 degrees cooler, saving you from overexerting your air conditioning! Once the insulation is up and the ceiling fans in place, remember to cover the walls with safe, low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints.

 

5. Two (green) thumbs up

Treating your home and garden as two pieces of the same puzzle rather than disparate, unrelated spaces will make your estate’s style more cohesive. Hiring a professional to “lawnscape” your lot will create a better ambiance and higher curb appeal, and well-tended indoor plants can actually purify your house’s air. Better yet, forego a lawn all together and opt for a mixture of native plant species that can provide your home with fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and fragrant flora throughout the year. Be sure to collect food scraps and other organic material in a compost pail, and use this on plants indoors and out! Not only will you save money on fertilizer, but you’ll have a beautiful, self-sufficient gardening system that you can feel good about!

 

There are more ways than ever before to tap into your eco-sensitive side and become environmentally conscious homeowners. Of course, many of the more involved projects will require an expert’s touch. If you’re looking for a way to build or renovate your own green paradise, contact us. We’re committed to helping our neighbors save money, increase the value of their homes, and of course, preserve our beautiful natural surroundings here in Charleston and beyond.

Contributed by Charlie Letts, Planning and Development Coordinator, Luxury Simplified Group