Sustainable Design

A buzz word over the last decade, sustainability means different things to different people.

Building or renovating sustainably aims at balancing newness with the home dwellers’ well-being, and restricting the project’s impact on the environment. This runs the gambit from eco-friendly. and certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and reducing waste and pollution.

For our design studio, this is of the utmost importance. Even if we are not buiding from the ground up, we always start our design plan trying to create compromise and trade-offs that will allow the home-owner to save on costs and retain the essence of the home when appropriate.

We almost always suggest to preserve the following: historical or original details: wood work, casement windows, wood flooring, light-fixtures, door hardware and more. Bathtubs can be refinished, floors should be sanded down and restained, beams should be repaired. There are so many new elements that come into renovating a house in full, keeping anything that has an architectural, sentimental or monetary value is a true sustainable move.

We also work closely with our contractors to use salvage materials when safe and possible. See below some example on how to bring sustainability into your project.

An antique wood door hinge found at a Paris flea market found its place on the box build for the vent hood in this Victorian kitchen project. Up-cycling + sentimental memento = sustainable design!

In commercial design sustainability is also an important consideration. Greenery is a great way to help a work space become healthier.

The floating shelves by the fireplace are former cedar deck planks, sanded and stained for a custom look !

Make a statement with a unique salvaged door, and reduce the land-fills.