In today’s marketplace, Green Living Homes have taken on a different connotation and seem to inspire different emotions as well.  In these economic times, it seems that you can’t do Green Living Homes without some sort of a major overhaul of your home , or so it seems.  When a new administration enters the White House, somebody or some group seems to think they may have a voice.  In America, the Green lovers are of the mindset that the next President will be so for them.

Granted, I am not coming at you from an environmentalist mindset.  In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.  I am of the mindset that a lot of the Green thinking borders on the “Guilt” aspect that characterizes  you  as bad if you aren’t Green for some reason.

Quite honestly, the Green movement can be a bit radical in its propagation of their overall message and, from a design standpoint, the lens that I often gage things, the materials have not been there to justify a Green Living Home.  That has begun to change with some great new design materials that has started to spark the interest of the design community, and, more importantly, become more reasonable from a price standpoint.

Now, here are some things you can do to be more Green just by making changes in the things you do everyday and in future design changes that you may be making in your home.

First, if you are about to do an Interior Design change, look at your electrical systems.  There can be a tremendous waste in your electrical output systems.  Even if you are not doing Interior Design changes , walk around your home and see it there are ways you can reduce some of you electrical waste.  If you just did some minor changes in the way you used your electricity by making sure appliances are turned off when not in use, etc, you could probably realize a 6% to 20 % difference in you bill each month a recent study showed.

From a Design standpoint, it goes without saying to spend the extra money for the  energy efficient appliances.  An option that is not as difficult to do these days, but still needs to be thoughtfully considered.

There are some simple changes from a lighting standpoint by changing out some of the bulbs that are claiming to be more efficient.  I am not talking about going crazy and just start changing them out, but when you need to make a change, do so then. 

Also look at you filters in heating and air conditioning units.  My Dad was a heating and air guy for years and was always shocked as to how people just wouldn’t take the time to change the filters which would cause countless dollars in repair bills yearly.  There are some pretty decent filtration systems, but are still a little pricey compared to regular ole filters.

Finally, from a Kitchen Design standpoint, Bamboo and cork flooring should be considered in Interior Design, as they are dynamic looking.  Kitchen cabinets can also be redone with similar alternatives to wood which can like just like exotic woods. 

There are some great looking Metal and Stone alternatives which are also good for Kitchen counters and cabinets and a great product, IceStone, one brand of recycled glass used to create countertops for kitchens and bathrooms that generally ranges between $100 and $150 a square foot. 

The point is that there is finally coming into the market place a great plethora of products that are Green focused to design and live in your  Green house.  With the changes you can make from a Design standpoint and just the changes you do by walking around the house, you can be Green.  Just don’t let it be out of guilt. 

It’s kind of like when I used to eat Twinkies that I loved so much and said that sooner or later there would be a low-fat version, and I was right. 

Its the same with going Green.  They’ll catch up.