K+BB - November 2008 - (Page 74)

Favorites 1 2 3 Patricia Gaylor’s Top Product Picks Little Falls, NJ-based interior designer and self-admitted “greenie” Patricia Gaylor has noticed a shift in her clientele. While 18 months ago, only 20 percent of her clients were interested in greening their homes (and 80 percent were not), “now, it’s the polar opposite,” she said. This may be surprising, but then again, Gaylor has made a name for herself by creating sustainable, “earth-inspired” interiors that are not only attractive, but also affordable. “Affordability is a key consideration for me,” she said. “Green people tend to be very socially conscious and reality-based, so they’re not going to go off the deep end.” It’s an attitude that’s evident in some of her high-proﬁle projects, such as the BASF Better Home, Better Planet demonstration home in Paterson, NJ. Conceived as a template for 3,000 affordable houses, the near-zero-energy dwelling received LEED Platinum certiﬁcation and features handsome, healthy interiors that are easy on the environment as well as the wallet. According to Gaylor, designing green and doing it economically often requires striking a balance, because “it’s not going to be a perfect world, so you do as much as you can within the conﬁnes of your clients’ budgets.” Of course, incorporating some of her favorite kitchen and bath products helps. For example, Gaylor is a fan of dual-ﬂush toilets, especially TOTO USA’s Aquia series (2), which features “incredible” 1.6-gpf/0.9-gpf ﬂushing performance at an affordable price point. Equally well-priced is Forbo’s Marmoleum Click ﬂooring (4), which makes Gaylor’s list not only for the versatility offered by its vast array of color options, but also for its fuss-free installation. She noted, “It has a cork backing on it and doesn’t require any adhesives at all.” Budget-friendly Terra Cabinets’ kitchen cabinets (5) are made from formaldehyde-free, FSC-certiﬁed lumber and, depending on the ﬁnish, emit little or no VOCs. The units can be speciﬁed with slab or Shaker-style doors and drawer fronts available in several wood ﬁnishes, as well as no-added-formaldehyde MDF. In addition, the company is located in Union, NJ, which, for Gaylor, cuts down on embodied energy. Another local favorite, Brooklyn, NY-based IceStone (1) is known for its surface material, which is formed of 100-percent-recycled glass and concrete, comes in a multitude of dazzling colors and can be used for countertops and ﬂooring. Add to that the company’s close proximity to Gaylor, and is it any wonder that the surface is, in her words, a “win-win”? Finally, for beautiful wood ﬂoors, and exceptional customer service, Gaylor often turns to Carlisle Wide Plank Floors (3), which makes a line of FSC-certiﬁed antique reclaimed woods, as well as a variety of pine and hardwood ﬂooring products that are currently undergoing certiﬁcation. “I just installed 11-in.-wide eastern white pine boards in a kitchen,” added Gaylor. “It looks smashing.” Gaylor’s enthusiasm extends to other products that bridge eco-friendliness, good looks and affordability, as well as to programs like WaterSense, which makes water-efﬁcient products more easily identiﬁable to consumers. Her passion for green can be infectious. After all, she said, “I do it because I love it.” s —Alice Liao 4 5 74 + K BB November 2008 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of K+BB - November 2008

K+BB - November 2008
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Feedback
Products
Trends
Special Green Section
Editorial/Green Intro
California Greenin'
Buying Green
Serious About Green
Natural Selection
Q&A
Control Issues
Green on a Budget
Airing Out
Earthly Wonder
Under the Influence
Cover Story: Under the Influence: An Asian-Inspired Kitchen with Green Appeal
Green Products
Ad Index
Editorial Index
Favorites

K+BB - November 2008