Published by Martha Danly under Kitchen, Sustainable Design

Much of environmentally conscious, energy efficient design is invisible. It’s hidden behind walls, stamped onto computer chips, or cloistered in utility rooms. But, luck be praised, there’s also plenty of ‘eco-bling’ for us to enjoy, reminding us every day that being green and being gorgeous can be one and the same.

Sara Gottfried, co-remodeler of the number one green home in the U.S., loves the term ‘eco-bling’ for all that it conveys—the pleasure and fun of surrounding ourselves with beautiful objects, plus the peace of mind that we’re treating our families and our planet with utmost care. Along with husband David Gottfried, founder of the U.S. Green Building Council, the World Green Building Council, and now CEO of Regenerative Ventures, Sara has designed a home that is at once beautiful, healthy, and efficient.

It comes as no surprise that Sara and her home have much in common. She’s a physician who combines her blue-chip medical training from Harvard Medical School and University of California, San Francisco, with alternative health approaches, heading up a healthcare practice that offers the best of Western and non-traditional medicine. That’s the tenor of integrative thinking that she and David bring to bear throughout their Oakland, California home.

One of the first design elements that struck me when I entered the house was the color palette. The impression I took from it may be described as alive, rich, and soothing. Working with a colorist, the Gottfrieds used 30 different hues throughout the house; some of them are slight thematic variations in a single room to highlight the Craftsman home’s coved ceilings and wall geometry. They chose Mythic Paint, a brand that is non-toxic, low odor, doesn’t emit unhealthy gases (zero VOC), and exceeds the Green Seal paint standard, GS-11.

For me, the locally built cabinets from SilverWalker with Spectra beach pebble knobs from Ecohome Improvement are the highlights of the kitchen, drawing the eyes upward toward the unusually high ceilings in the 1915-built house. As the activity hub, the kitchen contains many other eco design elements, such as Syndecrete countertops and tiles (high recycled content), Energy Star rated Bosch appliances, including an induction cooktop.

Because I’m in the market for replacement tiles in my bathroom, I had my eyes peeled; and when I found them, I couldn’t take my eyes off the Oceanside Glasstile in the powder room and main bath.

Classic modern furniture from Design Within Reach and a recycled wood bed from The Wooden Duck continue the theme of sustainable design; organic cotton sheets from Coyuchi are a wonderful addition. These are but a few of the ways the Gottfrieds have made their home green from the inside out and from the outside in.

It’s adaptive in the Darwinian sense that eco-bling has an ‘ooh-shiny’ impact that relates to both practical and aesthetic success. These beautiful elements are daily reminders of what can be done in the name of environmental consciousness. They can also generate trophy value for the homeowner who takes pleasure in sharing where, why, and how they acquired these beautiful artifacts.

Of course, trophy status lies in the beholder’s eye. Many of the green-curious among us thrill to check out the DC/AC inverter or investigate how solar panels hook up to the hot water heater. Our next blog will pick up right there, in the world of energy and water efficiency.