kitchen range
kitchen
kitchen breakfast room
kitchen dining area
deck play area
Updating a Kitchen - Sustainably
After ten years of using the original 1955 kitchen, we had worn it out. We renovated and enlarged it, taking in space from the adjacent carport for a breakfast area, and adding a deck. We attempted to do all of this in a sustainable way.
This project was published in Sarah Susanka’s book Not So Big Remodeling, and also in Inspired House in the July/August 2004 issue. Most recently, it was featured on GreenHomeAdvisor.com, a sustainable-building website.
Windows use low E, argon-filled double glazing. In an attempt to offset increased solar gain from the enlarged area of glass, the attic insulation throughout the whole house was increased to R-30 with blown-in recycled cellulose. New walls were insulated with batts of recycled cotton.
Existing stone floors in the breakfast area (former carport) were cleaned and sealed. New flooring in the kitchen is Marmoleum, a linseed and cellulose-based product.
Cabinets are manufactured by Neil Kelly Cabinets wheat strawboard, with natural wood veneers, using 65% less wood than typical wood cabinets. Their countertops are made of FireSlate, a man-made cementitious product with the look and feel of slate.
Framing for the deck is of non-arsenic pressure treated pine. Decking and handrails are made of FSC certified Brazilian ironwood (ipe).