Designing a Sustainable Kitchen

Earth Day–Invest In Our Planet

We can all do something to help protect our planet and its climate. As designers, it is important to consider how to be environmentally friendly. Believe it or not, designing sustainable kitchens can create jobs, build a green consumer market, and help the climate crisis.

Sustainably Sourced and Healthy Cabinets

If your budget allows, wood kitchen cabinets are usually the better option for overall appearance and to make your kitchen design more environmentally friendly. However, while cabinets made from solid mahogany or other fine, tropical hardwoods will look beautiful in your kitchen, they are not the most sustainable option.

Sustainable Kitchen Countertops

While marble and granite countertops are undoubtedly beautiful, there is a high environmental cost of getting these products into your kitchen. Fortunately, several recyclable materials can be used to create a beautiful kitchen. For instance, salvaged wood can be upcycled into a beautiful vintage countertop. For a more modern look to your kitchen, quartz might fit the bill. Quartz is an engineered stone consisting of approximately 90% natural ground quartz combined with approximately 10% polymer resin. It is a beautiful material created to mimic the look of natural stone.

There are many sustainable options that can be designed for your kitchen. These range from cabinets, to countertops, to appliances, to kitchen ventilation, to flooring, to lighting. KBC can help you with all these important decisions. The more we can do to design for sustainability, the better off we will all be.

Read the full post on Designing a Sustainable Kitchen, by Tobias Roberts, Writer for Rise.

NKBA’s 2023 Design Report talks about designing a sustainable home. Read the key highlights here.