Upgrading Your Home Investment Through Smart Remodeling

The current housing market is changing the landscape of home ownership in ways we could not have foretold even five to ten years ago.  In contrast to the trading up and relocating frenzy of the past decade, homeowners are finding themselves hunkering in and putting some smart money into their current homes.

The smartest improvement ideas of the current decade are focused on energy efficiency which translates to cost savings and greater comfort.  My first question to homeowners, whether they come to see me about a new kitchen, or refurbishing the flooring, concerns the bottom line on their home's energy performance; when was your last energy audit?  We begin with the basic assessment and add on with diagnostic testing to see where we can plug holes, and save energy.  Why waste time putting in a new kitchen, if you walls are drafty and you can't enjoy sitting in the dazzling new room?

Smart remodeling is about making informed choices about energy, but also about the materials you are going to use and surround yourself with.  With the emergence of green building in the past few years, we have an overwhelming selection of flooring, tiling, counters, cabinetry, lighting, carpeting, window treatment...all made with NON toxic materials, with no formaldehyde, or other VOC's which can cause innumerable health problems for young and old. You weight the choice, toxic-non-toxic.  Same price, great design options, durable and long lasting.  Everything from the paint on your walls to the insulation in your walls can be less toxic and create better air quality.

It's not about green building, it's about smart building.  Homeowners who are looking to maintain and increase the value in their homes, are seeing a return on their investments using these criteria, from immediate energy savings to lower health costs, and faster sales when they do go to sell.  The added value of green elements such as recycled counter top materials are Immediate draws and market well to informed consumers.  Realtors as well are taking notice and are getting trained to identify these benefits for their customers.  To learn more about staging and marketing green homes, visit in our showroom in Mashpee, Monday - Saturday 10AM - 5pm or in Boston, (218 Lincoln Street, Allston - by appointment only).

Or give us a call at 508-477-7988  

or 781-561-1221

Spotlight on Speaker for Be Healthy Boston

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Home \ Blog \ BHB - The Conference \ Speaker Spotlight: Nicole Goldman of 'g' Green Design Center

“Green living is not just about being ʻgreenʼ but being smart”; making a commitment to choose materials, methods and actions that minimize 

negative effects to human and environmental health. Being green in her 

head and heart, Nicole Goldman is founder of ʻgʼ Green Design Center. 

She is an interior designer who has devoted her career to making homes beautiful without impacting the health of her clients’ families or the environment. She believes that building green spaces is about making a commitment to being green in all areas of your life to promote health on 

an individual and environmental level.

What does “wellness” mean to you? Wellness to me is a combination of carefully choosing what you 

surround yourself with, what you intake and how you create a healthy living environment.

“Make smart choices – green is not just about being green but being smart in terms of usage of energy, materials & everything that doesn’t adversely affect ourselves and our environment.”

How did you get started in wellness/your profession? Originally from NY, I went to school at Connecticut 

College and then transferred to University of California Berkeley during the late 70ʼs. At the time, Steward 

Brandʼs “Good Earth” catalog came out and I chose to work in publications at Berkeley. I then moved to NYC 

and worked at Parson School switching to NYUʼs Stern School of Management for my MBA. Eventually, I 

moved to Boston to be with my then boyfriend, now husband of 30 years. He was at MIT for Architecture. We 

co-started a design company, which sold large scale promotional displays, eventually selling it and taking most 

of the proceeds to take our young adolescent children on a trip to travel the world. Upon returning, I launched 

into my own design career. At the time green living was just gaining momentum, reflecting upon and pulling inspiration from my days at Berkeley I began to work towards learning about green design. Through my own 

green home renovations, I experienced how difficult it was to get materials, and skilled workers, especially 

those skilled in green design. Therefore I recognized the gap in the market place and began my company, 

ʻgʼ Green Design Center, experiencing the bloom of green design. I see myself at the crossroads of where 

business meets design.

What is the most important home health or green design possibility a person can do today? From a 

wellness standpoint, it is to use non-toxic cleaners and to recycle. Also, it is important to take off your shoes 

and leave them at the front door to decrease the amount of chemicals and pathogens you carry throughout your home.

What do you hope is the take home message from your speaking experience at Be Healthy Boston 

2012?“That green living is simple, not complicated or expensive.”

Do you have a motto or a philosophy you live/work by? “Believe in yourself and never give up.”

Start small to incorporate health into your home environment. Join Nicole Goldman as she co-presents 

The Green Home: New Construction, Renovations and the Path to Energy Savings, Sunday, January 29th 

at Be Healthy Boston 2012.

Electronic Recycling

This Saturday and Sunday, Octo 8 - 9 @ g Green Design - Mashpee we'll be having a Electronic Recycling drop off event. So bring all those old computers. cell phones, TVs and unuseable VCRs to send off for reuse and repurposing! For those of you who can't make it here is some info about the where, how, and what of electronic recycling . 


Obsolete computers or other electronics are a valuable source for secondary raw materials, if treated properly; if not treated properly, they are a source of toxins and carcinogens. Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and even planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of computer or other electronic components around the globe.


In reaction to this the EPA as well as several non-profits have organized eCycle initiatives to make it easier than ever to get rid of your old computers, cell phones and household electronics. eCycling Central is a great resource with state by state listings of drop of locations with programs for recycling electronics. Always make sure to call ahead before you drop off, though. Oftentimes these locations aren't equipped to take broken or severely outdated equipment. Many manufacturers will actually take back their products when they are no longer useable. Visit the National Center for Electronics Recycling to find more info on which manufacturers recycle electronics. 


Once your old electronics are donated, what happens to them? Audiovisual components, televisions, VCRs, stereo equipment, mobile phones, other handheld devices, and computer components contain valuable elements and substances suitable for reclamation, including lead, copper, and gold. Your electronics are usually dismantled and separated based on their materials. Some computer components can be reused in assembling new computer products, while others are reduced to metals that can be reused in applications as varied as construction, flatware, and jewelry.

Green Building Open House - This Saturday, October 1st

Join Us

Saturday, October 1st

10AM - 5PM

Come into our showrooms:

On Cape Cod - Mashpee Commons

In Metro Boston - South Shore - Norwell

Learn about Energy Efficiency Options for your home or business.  Discuss federal and state tax rebates programs for energy upgrades.  Find out about eco-friendly insulation options.

Take a look at sustainable, eco-friendly building materials, kitchens, cabinetry, counters, tiling, floors and more and talk with our designers 

about your remodeling projects.

For more information

info@ggreendesign.com

508.477.7988

metrosouth@ggreendesign.com

781.561.1221

Living Green Outside Your Home

Living well is something we all work on, though our definitions of what that means differs with each individual.  To some it is being healthy, to others its being wealthy, or both.  Some of us value peace of mind above all else, others material possessions, career accomplishments, or familial happiness.

We can't describe what living well means to you, but we can offer some ideas on ways to live well, as in live healthy, through your choices about the environment in which you live.


Sustainable design, green building, an eco-friendly lifestyle - these are all terms that encompass a basic approach to every-day life that means a reductions of chemicals, giving back, and making good decisions.

Our homes play an essential role in our health, either contributing to our well being, or detracting from it.  At 'g' we work hard at providing opportunities to make good choices for a healthy lifestyle by utilizing fundamental principles of sustainable design.

Many people spend hours a day outside their homes, however. While most can't green their workspace from the inside out, there are many ways for you to stay green while at work.


Here are a few ideas for allowing you to maintain your green lifestyle all day:

- Make a commitment to using eco-friendly cleaning supplies at work as well as at home. 

- Add a plant to your cubicle to brighten up the space and absorb indoor pollution.


- Get rid of that saran-wrap and start bringing all your lunches and snacks in re-useable containers. Our BHP-free PRESERVE tupperware and SNACK TAXI sandwich wraps are great choices. 


- Bring your own mug, flatware and plates to work and wash them after use to fend off the temptation to use the wasteful disposables that are readily available in the lunch room. 


- Turn off your computer at the end of the workday! Not only does it increase the longevity of your electronics, it saves electricity. Remember, screen savers DON'T save energy.


- Print double-sided. Sounds like a no-brainer right? Maybe, but many who don't know how to use the office printer, won't print double sided and save half the paper. If you don't know how, now's the time to learn how to use that pesky copier and save some trees!


- Ask your employer to switch out the bulbs in your office to CFLs--it saves them money too!


- Use timers for the thermostats in the office. Keeping the heating and cooling on a regular schedule reduces waste and maintains a better climate in your office space. 


- Rethink your commute: walk or bike to work when possible (fits in exercise too!) or find someone to carpool with.  Check local transportation listings and save money on gas by buying a monthly commuter pass. Even if you reduce driving from 5 days to 3 days a week, you save and stay green! 


- Lastly, communicate to your coworkers about your green lifestyle. Teaching others how to be green helps you live well because it helps us all!

Making Your Kitchen a Low Waste Zone

Visitors come to 'g' to green their kitchens from the bottom-up. Whether its a big remodeling project or as small as picking up compostable garbage bags, we have everything to make your kitchen as green as can be. But even in the greenest kitchens, there is a lot of waste that we don't even think about! From using rolls and rolls of paper towels every month to not composting OR not recycling (eek!) to leaving the water on, all these environmental faux-pas can make your supposedly green kitchen into a high waste zone, negating all the good you've done! That's why we've come up with these simple tips to help you create a leaner, greener kitchen!

The amount of waste you put out is not an easy thing to control. The easiest way to consolidate and reduce waste is to have a system for separating all your different kinds of waste: a compost container, recycle bins for your metals, plastics, glass, paper and cardboard, and a smaller container for your nonrecyclable items. Most trash today is recyclable so hopefully your recycle bins will be much fuller than your trash can.

City dwellers may not think of composting as an easy reality. However, many cities have community gardens that would happily welcome donations of compost from your kitchen, if you don't want to become a member yourself. Otherwise, consider getting in touch with vendors at your local farmer's market to see if they take compost at their farms. Who knows maybe you could get some free goodies out of it!

Buying in bulk can also help reduce waste: less packaging and larger containers. So hit up your local Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's or other wholesale retailer to stock up on household items and non-perishables that you use regularly.

Eliminating disposable items such as any paper towels, plates and napkins or plastic cups and utensils can really help in reducing waste output. Come into 'g' to find reusable, light weight, travel-ready utensils and kitchenware made from bamboo, potato, and BPA-free plastics.

Water waste is probably the most difficult to regulate. The easiest way to reduce water use is to install low-flow faucets and high efficiency dishwashers. However if you aren't ready to replace appliances, you can start with more creative options like installing a dish-dryer above your window planter--you clean plates, they water your plants. It saves water and saves you a chore!

Other simple ways to reduce your kitchen waste are the no-brainers that we all seem to forget:

- Don't open the fridge until you know what you're getting out! You can make this simple for yourself by creating a storage plan for your fridge -- you'll always know where things will be located and won't have to rummage around looking for the mayo.

- Give up bottled water. Using a glass or stainless steel container for your water saves money and should heavily reduce your plastic output. Get a Brita filter for your tap or fridge and you'll get the same clean water without the waste.


- Pick up that hand-held egg beater that you got as a hand-me-down from your aunt's kitchen: it doesn't use electricity and its an arm work out!

Have more ideas for how to make a waste-free kitchen? We want to hear them! Email us at info@ggreendesign.com or tweet us @ggreendesign!