by Diana Zamudio and Nancy Kinghorn

A friend of Diana’s recently said she wanted to remodel her kitchen. Diana asked her if she was aware of the many beautiful green building finish materials choices now available. Her immediate response was, “If I do a green remodel, do I have to have a compost pile?”

In her mind, green remodeling equaled obligation rather than choice. Choosing green remodeling today allows you to be creative and budget-conscious and still have a beautiful, personalized space — plus it is good for planet. And no, you don’t have to compost.

Going green is a choice. It is very intentional. As we become more and more aware of the huge impact of our lifestyles on our larger home, planet Earth, we feel a desire to do what we can to develop a more sensible, sustainable lifestyle. We just need to learn how to implement our intention.

One thing we all have in common, no matter where we live, is that we live, work and sometimes play in buildings. It is estimated that the “built” environment has the greatest impact on our planet, more than the automobile, other forms of transportation, and manufacturing.

Focusing on changing our building processes is the natural place to start to reduce our impact on the planet that sustains us. It is estimated that buildings account for 70 percent of our global energy use. Buildings last decades and not only have a cost to construct but also an on-going cost for maintenance and energy expense for conditioning the space.

So when you plan on improving your home or making any other of a number of purchase decisions, consider all your choices. You already make choices that are based on what’s right for you and your family. Now, if you are willing, you can also make choices for the good for the globe.

Diana Zamudio and Nancy Kinghorn are interior designers in El Granada with a retail showroom showcasing green finish materials. Zamudio has a strong background in both residential and commercial interior design and feng shui. Kinghorn transitioned to the design world after over 20 years in residential real estate sales. Both are long-time Coastside residents.