Product Spotlight: Arborite

Arborite. A decorative laminate for affordable green countertops and furniture.

This versatile product provides a quick and easy way to update your tired countertop without re-doing your kitchen. Arborite laminate is yet another option in the realm of green kitchen remodels, if you are looking to go green but the offerings of recycled glass and recycled paper counter products do not fit into your budget yet (it's ok to put in something that you like now, to save for the kitchen that you LOVE later!). For those of you who have used much of your budget purchasing your [first?] new house, or making necessary upgrades and repairs elsewhere, at its lower pricepoint, Arborite will help enable you to create the cooking and dining space that you desire for less!

What is it? Arborite is a decorative laminate. It comes in 4' x 8' sheets, and needs to be adhered to a solid surface (substrate). It can be fabricated as a countertop, as well as a covering for furniture.

What is a laminate? Laminates were very popular in the 50's and 60's for covering everything - counters, furniture, floors...try to picture the Formica (a popular laminate from the past) in your grandmother's kitchen). Arborite has been making its own laminates for just as long. It used to have a retro look and appeal, though the great thing is that they are now offered in an array of fresh, modern looks.

An Arborite ad from the 1950's! Seen here on cabinet faces and the counter. As we said, it's now offered in updated looks, but has been popular for over half a century!

How is it applied? Arborite needs to be glued to a substrate. The recommended substrate is chip board or particle board, though if we've taught you one thing it is that the common hide-out for glues with formaldehyde and VOCs in building and remodels is in particle board and plywood. SO, when our fabricators construct your Arborite counter, we will use one of our green substrates - most likely wheatboard. VOC-free and made from a highly renewable grass byproduct.

Does it come in colors? As mentioned above, Arborite comes in many different colors, as well as textures! You can opt for a faux wood grain, bright solid colors, a marbled look, or you can even choose a laminate that takes on the appearance of a quartz or ceasarstone top. The looks are many - you must take a look at the swatches for yourself!

This is a look at some of the color collections. To view the complete array of color swatches, go to the website and browse!

Ok, it sounds kind of neat, but what makes it green? Right..we know this was an important question. So, first of all, laminates (ie Formica and the rest) are typically made from plastic. And, we all know the problems with petrochemically-based plastic. One of the green aspects of Arborite is that their laminates are made with a minimum of 50% paper, rather than plastic. Also, the Arborite laminate is Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified, which provides assurance that Arborite will not off-gas harmful contaminants. This is a claim that other plastic laminates cannot claim.

You say it's affordable? How much is it, really? Of course there are always variants, but fabricated and installed, its cost is in the ballpark of $37/sq.ft. As the least expensive green countertop offered, costs about 25% of the cost of many of the other products! If you've been discouraged about green countertops in the past, please come back to 'g' and check this out!

Spring is here: it's time for Spring Cleaning and March Madness!

Last Saturday was the first day of spring! Perhaps the post on Greening the Cleaning earlier in the week got you thinking about your Spring Cleaning checklist. If so, we thought it might be helpful to link you to some resources for alternative, DIY cleaning methods to avoid the chemical-ridden cleaners you might have in your cupboard...Check out this link that we like to Safe Alternatives for Household Cleaning Products. Many might sound like old wives tales, but they really are tried and true techniques!



Also after tomorrow's workshop on Managing Your Green Remodeling Project at the 'g' showroom in Mashpee, please join us for our...

Mad March Made in Cape Cod Crafts Mart!

There will be skilled artisans from across the Cape doing demos of their trades in our showroom, and their crafts on hand to sell. Meet Tessa Morgan from Flying Pig Pottery in Woods Hole, Deb Cumming from Cape Cod Baskets, and Teressa Cetto who creates her hand made jewelry using locally found seaglass. We hope to see you there!

Product Spotlight: Greening the Cleaning

Greening the Cleaning. We carry two of these biodegradable, environmentally-friendly cleaners: the Glass & Window Cleaner and the All Purpose Cleaner. Both ring in at a very affordable $4.49.

Today, we wanted to highlight these cleaners for the purposes of cleaning stainless steel.

Why should you prioritize these cleaners over others, especially for your stainless? You've got some assortment of stainless steel kitchen appliances, countertops, sinks, and other assorted accents. You've been told to clean them with mild cleaners (hopefully!), as they are susceptible to damage from abrasive or corrosive chemicals found in many of your household cleaners. And, putting aside the worries of your lovely kitchen, you should worry about the implications on your health due to using cleaners with chemicals!

The DIY all-natural fix for cleaning stainless is using a solution of diluted vinegar that most of you have in your homes. However, sometimes that just won't do the trick. Smudges and oil may resist the cleaning powers that be of vinegar. And, the lingering scent of vinegar might not seem that much better than the citrus and chemical that gets left behind from your basic kitchen spray cleaner...So, we want to tell you about this EXCELLENT alternative.

The Greening the Cleaning Glass & Window Cleaner specifically is designed to safely clean stainless steel, and we have a handful of customers who keep returning for it, who have vouched for its effectiveness. This cleaner uses water, and a naturally derived, readily biodegradable surfactant, and to top it off, contains no alcohol! It is able to cut grease safely and without fail - simply give your stainless steel surface a spritz, and wipe away with a cloth or sponge. We have several loyal customers who can give testament to the truth of the Greening the Cleaning's abilities to clean well.


Greening the Cleaning® means eliminating to the greatest extent possible, all cleaning agents containing hazardous ingredients and replacing them with naturally-derived ingredients with the least level of toxicity.





So, get rid of that collection of chemical-ridden cleaners under your sink, and pick up your Greening the Cleaning at 'g' today!

Stay away from these!

Saturday March 27th Workshop @ 'g': Managing your Green Remodeling Project

Are you dreaming of remodeling your home? Are you hoping to find ways to "green" the renovation?
If so, then be SURE to join us a week from Saturday at our Mashpee showroom from 11am-noon for an interactive workshop at the 'g' Green Design Center on how to best manage your green remodeling project.

Managing Your Green Remodeling Project is a nuts and bolts approach from concept to punch list to help homeowners understand the renovation process and manage their sustainability and energy efficiency goals in the process. Design layouts, interior design challenges, materials selections and working with contractors are all covered in this dynamic workshop. Homeowners are encouraged to bring in their plans, sketches, magazine cut-outs or photos to get professional advice on how to manage their projects and get them underway. We know the remodeling process can be daunting, so let us demystify the process for you. Contractors and remodeling professionals, as always, are welcome to attend and will greatly benefit from seeing the process unfold from a homeowners' perspective.

Last month we had a full house so to ensure a spot, be sure to register ahead. A fee of $25 per household is applicable towards purchases of $250 or more in the ‘g’ showroom. Sign up is available by calling 508.477.7988 or using our online registration form.

Participants have been telling us how helpful they've found our winter workshops so far - see what they've had to say here and here.

Afterward, join us for an artisans fair with hand crafted goods and artist demos of their work! Check back soon for more details on the local artists who will be featured in the afternoon.

Checking in with 'g' about last week's NESEA Building Energy Conference

'g' spent the middle of last week parked at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston at the NESEA Building Energy 2010 green building conference. It is always an exciting event: so many people in the green industry gathering together to learn and share insight and innovation all in the name of green building and energy and resource conservation.

We had wanted to tell you all about the highlights of the conference, but due to the high traffic, we hardly left our trade show booth! Instead, we've decided to reflect on the mission and importance of NESEA's Building Energy Conference, its role in green building, and how it mirrors that of 'g' Green Design Center.

Reduce, Retrofit, Renew. That was the mantra of the conference this year (seen on NESEA's Building Energy Conference logo, left), and we could not be happier. Those three words directly relate to the work of the 'g' Green Design Center and what we envision: the number one principal in green building is conservation first. Reducing waste of energy through conservation efforts, retrofitting existing buildings to save as many resources as possible, and renewing "expired" resources to give them a new life will all help make the world greener and move to put us on a better track.

That being said, we left energized and excited from the conversations we had and the people we met who are already in or interested in joining the green building and design world. A big thank you to those of you who stopped at our booth and chatted, and added to the conference energy and our experience, yet again.

Product Spotlight: FLOR

When you think "Installation of wall-to-wall carpeting", do you ever think "easy" or "affordable"? Even better, Do you ever think it can be a DIY project? With FLOR it can be! Read up below to learn about one of 'g' Green Design Center's most popular carpet products.

What is FLOR? Well, it's an "Inspired Modular Floor Covering", ie: carpet tiles. FLOR can be installed (very easily) as wall-to-wall carpeting, and also makes beautiful and practical area rugs.

How does it work? FLOR tiles, which each measure 19.7" x 19.7", are fastened together using a square sticker (provided by FLOR) in the corner on the underside of adjoining tiles. If you need to cut the carpet tiles to fit in a wall-to-wall situation, you can simply use a carpet knife (similar to a box-cutter) and straight edge.
What's so great about it?

• FLOR carpet tiles have a built in non-slip backing
  
• many tiles are made from recycled content
  
• they are VOC-free
  
• if one gets a permanent stain or soil, remove it an pop in another! (you should always purchase a few extra for that reason)
  
• neat patters and textures (Shag, short, patterned, solid, and more! With all of the choices offered, there will be styles for all tastes. And, to make things more interesting, you can mix and match tiles to create your own unique design
• easy to install yourself
  

What's so green about it? You guessed right - if we're selling it at 'g', it must be green. Many of the reasons it's great are also factors that can be added to it's green checklist: FLOR carpet tiles are free of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds, FLOR is a product with a long life-span, cutting down on the need for new resources and adding to the waste stream - you can send in your soiled or ruined tiles and FLOR will recycle them (they definitely are NOT a product with planned obsolescence), and many of the tiles are already constructed out of recycled materials, among other reasons.

FLOR modular carpet solutions are suitable for your home or commercial project. Your local 'g' showroom has samples of just about every carpet tile offered. Stop in today to see FLOR in person, and you will be convinced of how great it is! You can even borrow a sample, or two or three or four, to bring home and see how it feels in your own space. We'll see you soon!

More from last Saturday: A look at the Fabulous February Farm Fresh Food Fest....

A week ago Saturday, our showroom was bustling.

To celebrate local food, immediately following the Green Kitchens and Baths Workshop, last Saturday we also hosted a local food fair of local food fare.

We have some great pictures documenting the vendors and the clients who just could not get enough of these local treats, and wanted to share! It's exciting to us that so many members of the community were charged up about local food and joined us to try some delicious treats hailing from the Cape. See what some of the Cape's adventurous Locavores got to enjoy in the comfort of our showroom:

Warm, aromatic donuts (mmmmm!) and neatly packaged loaves of fresh bread donned the table of The Great Cape Baking Company of Marstons Mills.

Two lively employees of Nantucket Wild Gourmet, located in Chatham, offered samples of smoked fish fillets and delicious fish patés.

The owner of Cedar Spring Herb Farm shows off a display of flavored local honies, unique oil and vinegar mixes, and local herbs from the company's Botanical Sanctuary in Harwich. The Cedar Spring Herb Farm original "Stressless Tea" samples did not last long!

Chef Paul, chocolatier and owner of The Chocolate Peddler in Brewster hands out samples of his famous chocolate truffles and an incredible tasty creation he calls "truffle loaf" (think the most amazing chocolate banana bread you've ever tasted filled with assorted chunks of homemade chocolate truffles) to some very lucky ladies.

'g' Green Design Center was proud to host this event, showcasing some wonderful and entrepreneurial local food companies. We encourage you to always think local first - it's the green way to go!

What others are saying about last Saturday's Green Kitchen and Bath Workshop @ 'g'...

A spread of green materials to renovate your kitchen or bath.

It was a full house at the 'g' Green Design Center's Mashpee Showroom last Saturday. Ten guests joined our design experts for a workshop on Greening Your Kitchen and Bath, suited for remodeling projects or new construction. Most were homeowners, seeking guidance on greening their kitchen and bath renovations. Also attending were a few contractors seeking information to green their clients projects.
The conversation started with a prompt to participants to think about how to organize their kitchen space.  There are many factors to take into consideration: is the "frequent user" of the kitchen a right- or left-handed?  What type of storage is desired?  

The the discussion moved on to some of the green considerations in your layout.  Where are the recycling bins going to live?  Your kitchen compost?  In your kitchen or bathroom, does it make sense for you to install a tankless, instant hot water heater (they are VERY energy efficient)?  

Next, of course, we looked at the green materials to consider....Green countertop materials were passed around, flooring options shown, price comparisons of green vs non-green materials were made.

When asked what prompted them to come, a local contractor, Ben, said it was to learn more about the products.  "There is a general buzz for green.  People ask about it, and it's helpful to know how to guide them."  

Homeowner Priscilla found the workshop "informative and encouraging to be more eco-friendly".  She was inspired to schedule an energy audit immediately, and said she may not even need to come to another workshop, she learned so much!

All of the participants indicated they left with more knowledge than they came in with, and were empowered to better make some of the decisions they will be or are faced with in their kitchen and bath projects.  And, all said it was definitely worth the hour of their time, and we might very well see them again.  This review was just a sneak peek at what was covered in the jam-packed one hour workshop - don't miss YOUR chance to attend the next 'g' Green Design Center Green Remodeling Workshop.  Check our website for the schedule of remaining sessions and details on how to register!  

If you are in the North Shore area, you can catch the same workshop in the Norwell showroom tomorrow, Saturday March 6!

Rate Us Green!

'g' Green Design Center is now on Rate It Green (see below). Tell us, and the rest of the community at large, how we're doing! We appreciate your taking the time to share your valuable input, and thank you for working with us!

'g' Green Design Center has become a Listed Member of an online green building directory, resource, and community portal called Rate It Green (www.rateitgreen.com). Rate It Green's directory offers a great and affordable marketing opportunity for companies offering green building services. We create a profile and list our products and services, and then we can ask our valued clients to post testimonials that prospective clients can rely upon to learn more about working with us. Companies can also review each other on the site.

We believe that people who have worked with us are the best advertising for what we do. Especially in a tough economy, client opinions can be quite meaningful to others who are making green building purchasing decisions.

Rate It Green offers four levels of listings, and the first is free and always will be. Individuals who wish to post reviews on the site also register for free, but there is a survey involved if they wish to post content on the site (you can select "prefer not to answer" if you choose not to share most information). The registration is one way the site makes sure all of our reviews will be sincere.

Rate It Green is working to promote greater information exchange within the green building industry, so that individuals and organizations can find green building information more easily and so that companies like ours can showcase our offerings through a trustworthy and open resource. Visit www.rateitgreen.com or contact Allison Friedman at afriedman@rateitgreen.com with questions about Rate It Green. To register on the site, click "register" at the top right of the home page (registration: http://www.rateitgreen.com/register), and the site will guide you through.