Everywhere you look, environmentally concerned consumers are making the switch to “green” living. This shift in consciousness influences where and how we shop, what kind of vehicles we drive and what we do with our recyclable material. The desire to make smart choices for the environment and ourselves even extends to our kitchen remodeling projects.

The kitchen is the most energy-intensive room in the house. It uses water for the sink and dishwasher, it sucks up electricity for the refrigerator and it uses natural gas and electricity to power the stove. Naturally, most areas of the kitchen are excellent candidates for a green makeover. Here are a few ideas.

Countertops made from recycled beer bottles have surprisingly become a staple in kitchen remodeling. These recycled glass surfaces are durable, smooth to the touch and don’t require synthetic finishes which can be toxic.

Cabinets can be refurbished or made new using straw-based or wheat-based products. Salvaged wood or wood that is harvested in compliance with the Forest Stewardship Council is also an excellent choice.

Floors made from sustainable materials like the rapidly maturing bamboo, cork and eucalyptus are more eco-friendly than their traditional hardwood counterparts. Typically these materials are harvested in an environmentally-friendly manner and replenish themselves quickly.

Kitchen remodeling allows you to take full advantage of natural daylight and save electricity by installing skylights, solar tubes or opening up more window space. Replace single-paned windows with double-paned windows to keep warmth in and cold air out. Remember to switch out the bulbs in all of your kitchen’s light fixtures with the longer-lasting, energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights.

Refrigerators eat up more electricity than any other kitchen appliance. If yours is older than 10 years, replace it with one that is labeled “Energy Star” as they use up to 50 percent less energy.

Another green kitchen remodel option is replacing your gas or electric stove with an induction cooktop. These innovative appliances are 90 percent energy-efficient and provide faster heating times with more efficient cooking.

When it comes to fixing up the house in a green way, homeowners can do more than just switch out incandescent bulbs or set up separate bins for recycling. A kitchen remodeling project opens up a world of environmentally-sound options. It is perhaps the best time to make the eco-friendly changes to your home that you have been considering.
 
When you are considering remodeling your kitchen, choosing the best kitchen cabinets is perhaps one of the most important decisions that you can make. The cabinets in the kitchen are both functional as well as the centerpiece of the space. Therefore, homeowners often think carefully regarding their choice of cabinet so as to make sure that they make the right choice, one that will satisfy them for years to come.

In order to simplifyy the process of choosing kitchen cabinets, the following are a series of five steps which you can follow in order to determine which cabinets would be best suited to your kitchen space.

Set a Budget

Before you begin any remodeling project, you should first make a project budget. It is normally recommended that you allocate between 30% and 50% of the total kitchen remodeling budget to the cabinets.

Select Construction

There are three primary forms of cabinet construction: custom, semi-custom and stock. The budget will have a large impact on the type of cabinet construction which is selected for installation. Stock cabinets are already pre-made in specific sizes, finishes and styles, and they are the least expensive option. The semi-custom cabinets are somewhat more expensive than the stock kitchen cabinets, and the owners of the home are able to change specific aspects of the pieces. Custom cabinets come at the highest price and are custom-made for the kitchen and customers that they are meant for.

Choose the Style of Cabinet

The design of the doors on the cabinet has an essential impact on the style of the kitchen space. In a contemporary space, clean lines will probably look the best, while a more traditional space would do best with detailed and ornate details.

Choose the Material for the Cabinet

The cabinet’s material also has a large impact on the kitchen’s overall style. The three primary materials are laminate, metal and wood. Metal has become quite popular in recent years for contemporary and modern kitchen spaces. Despite this, wood still continues to be the most common material used in kitchens.

Choose the Finish for the Cabinets

Wood cabinets are able to be painted and stained to the color which is desired and fits well into the kitchen space. They are also able to remain the natural color so as to highlight the natural color of the wood. Laminate and metal cabinets are also available in several different colors.