EcoLiving Ideas

By Robin Baron on Jul 17, 2010

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While I write and talk about using sustainable materials in home design quite a bit, it is also important to make sure your house runs efficiently. In every green-conscious home, appliances are eco-friendly, plumbing is water-efficient and light bulbs use as little energy as possible. Here are a few companies that I suggest to design clients for stylish, water-conserving and energy-saving products.

Toto
Toto, one of my go-to plumbing supply manufacturers, has sustainability and water conservation in the forefront of its mission. Toto offers toilets, tubs, sinks, faucets…everything you need to complete a bathroom. Toto products are elegant with clean contours, and their functionality surpasses expectations. As a designer, I’m always looking for products that combine great form with outstanding function, and I have found over the years that Toto consistently does just that.

Many common bathroom faucets release 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm). Toto’s High-efficiency faucets use only 1.5 gpm and save 31 percent of water usage over the 2.2 gpm models.
Toto’s Eco-Power Faucet is another green-friendly option. Great for commercial or residential use, these are hands-free (turn on by a sensor) and require no electricity or battery. Instead, the sensor system is run by a water-powered turbine. The best part is that the faucet uses only 0.9 gallons per 10 second cycle versus the average .25 gallons per cycle. This technology is also available on some Toto toilets for a hands-free flush.
Speaking of toilets, I have found that Toto’s dual-flush toilets are a simple way to reduce water consumption in a bathroom. Having the two-flush option reduces your home’s water consumption by 25 percent. Many people don’t realize how much water is unnecessarily used each time they flush. This feature eliminates that waste by giving you a half-flush and full-flush option.

Sub-Zero/Wolf
When it comes to kitchens, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances are top of the line. Beautifully-designed, these products make cooking and storing food simple. Over 16 of the Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances offered, were awarded Energy Star ® qualification. Energy Star ®, a government-backed symbol of efficiency, awards its label only to the most energy-efficient products on the market. Also, 75 percent of the stainless steel and up to 50 percent of the plastic in the appliances are made from recycled materials.
One thing to be aware of is that eco-friendly products don’t necessarily cost more than their less-efficient counterparts. In this case, a product can only be awarded an Energy Star ® seal if the product is in the same price range as its competitor or will pay the owner back in a reasonable amount of time through utility bill savings.

Green Electrical Supply
Light bulbs are an easy way to make any room in your home more eco-friendly with the extra benefit of lowering your utility bills. I recently discovered Green Electrical Supply, a great resource for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). The company has CFLs in many styles including hard-to-find chandelier bulbs as well as dimmable CFLs.

With so many resources available, it is easier than ever to make your home function eco-consciously. If you have additional questions or suggestions for my next article, feel free to e-mail me at askrobin@robinbarondesign. Until next time, happy green designing!