Sign up for our  
FREE Newsletter

•  
• EcoInfo
• |
• EcoAction
• |
• EcoShop
• |
• EcoLeisure
• |
• EcoBlog
• |
• About Us
• |
•  Shopping Cart | 

Hi! I’m very excited about my new column “Designing Green with Robin Baron.” I have been an interior designer with my own firm for 20 years, and I have always been eco-conscious. What is inspiring to me now is that sustainable design has become a high priority of home décor manufacturers and vendors creating the opportunity for green products to have more style than ever before.  Style no longer has to be sacrificed when designing an eco-conscious home! From recycled glass tile to no VOC paints and finishes to reclaimed wood and sustainably-harvested wood…there are so many sustainable products available so that style does not have to take a back seat. I’m looking forward to sharing these with you!

As a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and a certified GREENleader, I’ve been “going green” for many years. Home furnishing choices can significantly influence climate change, pollution, water conservation as well as landfill issues.  Everybody understands it’s important to be eco-friendly, but no one wants to give up the style and beauty they love. That’s why I’m here…to help you be green without compromising your personal style.

I thought I would start out by talking about the kitchen because it is the most important room in a home in terms of investment, resale and most importantly, living. Your kitchen counter tops get heavy use and pull the room together from a design stand point, making them one of the most important aspects of a kitchen. There are two companies that I love for kitchen countertops as well as for baths and vanity tops– IceStone and Caesar Stone.

IceStone: Brooklyn-based IceStone manufactures their products from 100% recycled glass, redirecting hundreds of tons of glass from landfills each year. The company also sells concrete surfaces made from recycled cement. Both the recycled glass and cement slabs are VOC free, meaning they are free of volatile organic compounds that are harmful to the environment and human health.

While IceStone places sustainability as a high priority, the look and design of their products don’t suffer. The company manages to offer a versatile color palette and materials that address both classic and contemporary styles. Best yet, IceStone surfaces don’t fade with UV exposure…a big difference from petrochemical-based materials.

Caesar Stone: Caesar Stone is another wonderful company that is doing its part to protect the environment while still providing reliable, beautiful products. In 1987, Caesar Stone started a trend in the industry by offering quartz as a surface option. Over 20 years later, the company’s foothold in the market is still based on their quartz surfaces, making the company’s countertops very eco-friendly! Quartz is “greener” than granite or marble for a variety of reasons including:

• Quartz is very durable. Because of this, the company offers a lifetime guarantee on their products, making your eco footprint a bit smaller. 
• Quartz is the world’s most abundant mineral, making Caesar Stone’s eco footprint smaller as well.

The company also has a recycled collection that includes products made from recycled quartz, glass, and mirrors. Additionally, Caesar Stone’s production process aims to save water, reduce soil pollution, provide eco-friendly packaging, recycle industrial waste, and emit very little CO2…they are really doing their part!

If you are ready to overhaul your kitchen or even a bathroom vanity, I hope you take these companies into consideration. I’ve used them in many design projects and stand behind their products wholeheartedly! I’m looking forward to sharing more great brands and products with you!

If you have a particular green design question, feel free to e-mail at askrobin@robinbarondesign.com. I would be happy to answer your question.