Why is green interior design important?

How does it impact occupants and the

environment?
RF: One of the most important aspects of sustainability is health – health of the indoor
environment, of the occupants, of the materials. Interior designers offer specialized
knowledge of interiors materials and FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) that
promote good indoor air quality, are toxin-free, and are water/energy-efficient. For
example, formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that is ubiquitous in furniture and
cabinetry. Understanding the health implications of this substance and how to source
formaldehyde-free products demonstrates the value interior designers bring to the table.

How important is it for interior design professionals to understand the concepts of

sustainability?
RF: ASID recently issued our Facts & Figures report which cites that on average, interior
designers specify products in nearly 9 out of 10 projects in both residential and
commercial projects. This figure illustrates the impact that interior designers have on the
built environment. For example, consider the issue of water conservation. At least 2/3 of
the U.S. has experienced or is expected to experience water shortages. Reducing the
amount of water we use is imperative and one of the easiest solutions is to improve
water efficiency of kitchen and bath fixtures and appliances. If every household in
America installed a water-efficient faucet, the U.S. could save 60 billion gallons of water
annually. From the commercial perspective, a small office with as few as 10 employees
can save about 69,000 gallons of water and $420 in water utility bills in a single year if
they replace just one toilet. Scale that up to a 500-room hotel and you get a sense of the
impact interior designers have on their clients’ pocketbook as well as the environment.
Specifying water-efficient fixtures is just one example of something interior designers do
on a daily basis that makes a real impact one project at a time.
Can you highlight a green interior space or project that you find particularly
inspiring?
RF: Prior to joining to ASID, I worked as an advisor for the Make It Right Foundation that
led the development of the world’s largest LEED Platinum residential community in New
Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. It was through my experience there that I witnessed first-
hand the power and impact that sustainable design can make on the well-being of a
community. The residents not only benefitted from safe and healthy homes, but also
significantly reduced utility expenses. In some cases, residents went from electric bills
that exceeded $300 a month in their old homes, to bills that averaged less than $50 per
month in their new homes. The benefits of sustainable design on the environment are
evident, but the potential cost savings provides significant economic advantages and
increased opportunities for families and communities to allocate more money to
essentials like education, groceries and healthcare.
What's the future for green interior design?
RF: Even though sustainability has made significant inroads into the everyday design
vernacular, we need to do much more for it to become common practice. One of the
 more impactful education sessions at NeoCon this year focused on developing industry-
wide models for a sustainable future. We believe that an integrated model of
collaboration and a holistic approach that brings builders, designers, architects and the
occupants together is integral to the future of sustainable design and we look forward to
being a key partner in this quest.

Green Flooring
There is a wide variety of green flooring in the market place today. What makes flooring green:

 durability
 non-toxicity
 renewable sourcing
 transportation
The challenge is to determine which of these qualities are most important and how they reflect
aesthetically. No product has everything so it often amounts to comparing apples to oranges and
making what seems like the best choice.

Finished Concrete Floors

When used as the finish floor, concrete containing high fly-ash content serves several green
purposes:

 It saves the expense of installing another flooring material, like wood or carpet.
 Make us of an industrial by-product
 Does not harbor allergens, dust and mold, like carpet
The trick is to look for an experienced installer, not necessarily someone who specializes in
sidewalks and driveways and is trying to learn something new.

Wall-to-Wall Carpet
Wall-to-wall carpet is an anathema to good indoor air quality. A great alternative to conventional
residential carpets is to use commercial carpets from Interface or Collins and Aikman. They have
a lower pile and tighter weave and are designed for long term use.

Tile
Tiles make durable and attractive flooring that's easy to install and doesn't come with a learning
curve like some green products. Look for local, then regional, and finally domestic sources. The
best and greenest way to install tile is in conventional thickset mortar. The floor will last longer,
will be less likely to crack, and has the lowest toxicity.

Recycled Rubber Flooring

Rubber flooring is attractive for its resilience. Most often found in gyms and health clubs, it's also
a good flooring option for commercial kitchens. Rubber off-gasses during most of its life so
should be installed in places that usually have good ventilation. It is a much better product for
outdoor play areas than for children's playrooms inside.

Reclaimed Flooring
Reclaimed flooring is available locally and through various sources nationally. Vast quantities of
old-growth lumber can be found in old warehouse, building, bridges and other structures.
Reclaimed wood provides the benefits of old-growth timber without the environmental costs.
Another source of wood products is local lumberyards that reclaim urban forests when trees die
or are cut down to build new homes and businesses.

Bamboo
Bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource and also a durable flooring choice. It comes in two grain
patterns - flat sawn or vertical grain - and typically with either a blond or caramelized finish.

There are a variety of bamboo but only a few are appropriate for flooring. Of those few, some are
better than others in dry climates. Go with a company like Plyboo or Timbergrass, a supplier that
has been in the business for over a decade and offers high-quality flooring.

FSC-Certified Wood Flooring

Available in solid wood and as engineered, prefinished varieties, FSC-certified flooring is
available across the country. Be aware that some certified engineered flooring contains urea-
formaldehyde as the internal adhesive with only the wear layer (4 mils to 6 mils thick) actually
made of certified materials. Other brands, however, are made with formaldehyde-free adhesives
and are definitely preferable. EcoTimber is one company selling these flooring products.

Cork
Cork is beautiful and has natural anti-bacterial qualities, is soft underfoot, is made from recycled
materials, and comes from a renewable source. It's typically made from the waste cork left over
after bottle stoppers are manufactured. The only downside is that cork trees grow only in a
limited geographical area in the Mediterranean. So, it is a limited resource for the future.

Natural Carpets
Carpeting for a green home should be made of natural materials, such as wool or sisal with jute
backing. Although, natural wool sounds great from a green standpoint, its desirability depends on
where the wool comes from. Domestic wool is fine, but if the wool is imported from Iceland or
New Zealand it has probably been fumigated with a USDA-required insecticide that is off the
charts in terms of toxicity.

Linoleum and Vinyl

Many people confuse sheet vinyl flooring with "linoleum", as natural mistake. Linoleum makes a
better choice than vinyl because it's manufactured with less toxic materials. Because linoleum
does not have the same protective surface, it must be polished occasionally resist stains. Be
prepared for an odor from the linseed oil that off-gases an aldehyde, which is not toxic for most
people and will dissipate.
 Step 4: Green Cabinets Materials & Checklist
As interest in green products grow, manufacturers are responding with
cabinet lines designed to satisfy consumer demands for a healthier indoor
environment. Taking advantage of what's available starts with knowing what
to look for.

Wheat Straw Panels

Instead of particleboard, you can use panels made from compressed wheat
straw. The glue used in this product is a non-toxic MDI resin. In addition to being healthier than
particleboard, these panels conserve wood by instead using an agricultural waste product (wheat
straw.)

Particleboard Without Urea Formaldehyde

Medite™ is a product that uses 100% recycled wood fiber and a formaldehyde-free resin.

SkyBlend® is a general use particleboard that uses phenol-formaldehyde rather than urea-
formaldehyde. Phenol-formaldehyde is much less toxic than urea-formaldehyde.

Real Wood Veneer

Cabinet faces are often solid wood, but consider choosing a wood veneer instead. The veneer is
still real wood, but is much thinner and thus utilizes only a fraction of the wood in solid cabinet
facing. With veneers, your cabinets look the same but create a much smaller ecological footprint.

FSC-Certified Wood

FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. This trusted non-profit certifies wood that has been
sustainably harvested. The Council’s standards are rigorous and respected. Wood that is not
FSC-certified may be derived from old growth forests or tree farms that are not sustainably
managed.

Rapidly Renewable Materials

Bamboo is a grass that grows much more quickly than trees so it makes a popular green
cabinetry choice. Before settling on a bamboo cabinet product, though, ask the manufacturer
about what resins are used. Just as with particleboard, you should avoid toxic glues that may off-
gas.

Green Cabinets Checklist

Choose a cabinet underlayment that does not contain urea-formaldehyde. Options include:

 Panels made of compressed wheat straw

 Formaldehyde-free wood fiber panels
 Wood fiber panels that use phenol- rather than urea-formaldehyde
For remodels:

 Consider simply refinishing your cabinets rather than replacing them

 Consider using your old cabinets in a different room
 If you don’t want your old cabinets, find a place to donate them
Choose durable and versatile materials. Think about:
 How long will your new cabinets last?
 Will they suit your household’s changing needs?
 Are they versatile enough to be liked by future owners of your home?
 Will the cabinets be recyclable at the end of their lifetime?
Choose a cabinet face material that is sustainably sourced. Consider using:

 Salvaged wood
 Wood Veneer
 FSC Certified Lumber
 Rapidly renewable materials

Choosing a Paint
Choosing a low/no-VOC paint is only half the battle. You also have to consider any tints that are
added to color the paint. Choose the color you want first, then find out from the manufacturer
whether the tints needed to make it add VOCs back into the paint. Pastel colors typically have
the fewest VOCs and dark colors have more.

Low-VOC paints should be applied with plenty of ventilation, just like conventional paints. When
possible, keep windows and doors open. You can keep fumes downwind by placing a fan in the
doorway so it blows air out of the room, or an exhaust fan in a window. Work your way through
the room so you're always upwind of fresh paint.

Wood Finishes
Wood finishes, particularly solvent-based floor finishes, can be especially harmful to the health of
children. There are a range of water-based products that perform almost as well without the
potential hazard. But be aware, they don't behave or look exactly like their solvent-based
equivalents - they don't penetrate the wood in the same way, so they don't impart the same
amber quality to bare wood.

Consider BonaKem for low-VOC floor finishes with various levels of durability and AFM Safecoat
for VOC water-based finishes and very low-VOC, no formaldehyde Polyureseal BP® that can be
applied as an alternative to solvent-based finishes.

Low-VOC Adhesives and Caulks

The highest concentration of known carcinogens are found in solvent-based adhesives. There is
no reason to continue using these products. Virtually all major manufacturers offer urethane-
based adhesives that are not only stronger but bond to wet wood, a problem for solvent-based
adhesives.

Look for the VOC content on the tube or can, it should be less than 150 g/l and lower if possible.
Clay Plaster
No matter what kind of drywall you use it will need priming and painting. An alternative for indoor
wall finishes is natural plaster, a popular finish material available in a variety of colors that's
applied to primed and sealed gypsum drywall, blue board, or other suitable substrate. Plasters
are thought of as living finishes and may take some extra care to maintain if you experience a
crack or chip in the surface. They are very natural, breathable surface covers that are often
preferable for clients with chemical sensitivities, as they do not contain any VOCs.

Green Building Best Practices

The top 4 things to consider before choosing your interior finishes and adhesives:

Toxicity - some common building products emit unpleasant and even dangerous fumes that can persist long after
homeowners have moved in.

Durability - Building materials that hold up to the rigors of family life are worth the investment, reducing the
frequency of repairs or replacement and making interiors less troublesome to maintain.

Resource conservation - Reusing salvaged materials or choosing products that have been made with recycled
material means fewer resources have to be committed to making something new.

Sustainability - The best choices are products that are renewable

Rating Paints
Green Seal, an independent nonprofit organization that offers green product certification has created criteria for
evaluating paint that prohibit some toxic compounds and limit others. Methylene chloride, benzene, vinyl chloride,
phthalates, and ketones, for example, are on the list of materials that are completely banned. Standards also
require paints to meet performance standards for hiding power (opacity), scrubability (abrasion resistance), and
ease of maintenance (stain removal).