GREEN LIVING
Creating the Green Home in New England
PHOTO BY JUDSON ABTS, COURTESY OF NATIONAL LUMBER/KITCHEN VIEWS
From the reclaimed pine floors to
the water conserving faucets, Energy
Star appliances and no-VOC finishes,
Jessica Williamson of Kitchen Views
Custom designed this kitchen to be
as green as possible.
SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION
A GREEN MAKEOVER
BY DIANE M. STERRETT
Are you tired of fossil fuel prices spiraling upward every year - even as oil companies set new records for
profit? Then switch to a WaterFurnace geothermal heat pump. A WaterFurnace geothermal system uses
the clean, renewable energy stored in your backyard to save up to 70% on heating, cooling and hot water.
It’s the environmental equivalent to planting an acre of trees or taking two cars off the road. It’s good for the
environment, it’s great for your budget and thanks to a 30% federal tax credit, now is the best time to act.
Call Coneco Geothermal Systems right now for more information.
(508) 443-5011
www.coneco.com
visit us online at waterfurnace.com
©2010 WaterFurnace is a registered trademark of WaterFurnace International, Inc. *Based on ARI13256-1 (GLHP - Part Load Ratings)
GREEN LIVING
[GREENGOODS]
Anderson Insulation
What would you do with 4,288 beer bottles? Anderson Insulation would insulate a
3,000-square-foot home! As a leader in ecofriendly insulation techniques and materials,
Anderson Insulation helps architects,
builders and homeowners insulate better
and make the earth a greener place. One
of Anderson’s favorite materials is Knauf
EcoBatt, made with post-consumer recycled
glass such as beer bottles. And thanks to
the product’s plant-based binder, it releases no VOCs, no formaldehyde and no phenol, resulting in healthier air quality.
Anderson is the only insulation contractor in New England certified by the NAHB
Research Center for its installation practices. www.andersoninsul.com
ARCO, LLC
ARCO implements sustainable building
practices essential to the environment
and integral to the performance, look
and feel of all of their projects. Over the
past years ARCO has built a reputation
as one of the newest premier general
contracting teams offering clients the
best of all worlds: in-house architectural
design, cutting-edge, pro-environment
construction methods and a collaborative
team approach with architects and designers to create more efficient and healthier homes. They are dedicated to sustainable building practices and continuing
education to ensure a design of lasting beauty that is in complete harmony with
your site and your lifestyle. www.arcollc.com
Boston Architectural College
The Sustainable Design Institute at the
Boston Architectural College (BAC) offers
the most comprehensive sustainable
design curriculum in the country. This faculty-led, interactive, graduate-level instruction
features a fully online format. It offers the
opportunity to learn about the many ways
in which buildings interact with the natural
environment and the choices available to
make that interaction positive. Courses can
be taken individually or as part of the
Sustainable Design Certificate programs,
which include the Certificate in Sustainable Residential Design. Please consult the
BAC’s sustainable design Web page for schedules, detailed course descriptions,
prerequisites, tuition information, faculty bios and registration information.
www.the-bac.edu/green
98
SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION
W
Want to be a little greener? We’ve
gathered some easy, eco-friendly
ideas for a room-by-room green
makeover Mother Earth will love.
Do a lot or a little—it’s up to you.
nKitchen
Let’s start in the kitchen, since it’s
the number-one do-over room in the
house and there’s an eco-friendly
option for everything. For cabinetry,
you have three main green categories to consider: reclaimed, renewable and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. Reclaimed wood
has been remilled from previously
used salvaged timbers, preventing
the lumber from becoming waste
while also preserving living trees.
“Renewable woods, such as bamboo and lyptus, are considered green
because they are rapidly renewable
resources with a significantly shorter
growth life,” says Jessica Williamson,
AKBD and green design specialist at
Kitchen Views Custom in Newton,
Massachusetts. “But neither is made
in the U.S. If a customer is trying to
be green, I recommend sourcing materials as locally as possible. Crystal
cabinets and Greenfield cabinetry
are both made in the U.S. and offer
green options.”
Nearly all wood species grown in
the U.S. are FSC-certified, she says.
That means the lumber was harvested using responsible forestry and replanting practices. Other green cabinetry features to look for are no
added urea formaldehyde in the
boxes and a no-VOC finish on the
outside for healthier air quality.
Options abound for eco-friendly
countertops, including PaperStone,
IceStone and Eco by Cosentino.
“These products have become more
readily available lately,” Williamson
says. “One newer option called Okite
is made from quartz and contributes
to LEED points if you’re going for
certification. I’ve also done many
more wood countertops lately; people
like the texture and are trending toward a more natural, organic look.”
85 years of dishwasher know-how
just received its highest honor...
Ranked Highest in
Customer Satisfaction.
J.D. Power and Associates ranked Miele
“Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Dishwashers”
Serving all of New England
978.448.8555
www.riverbendandcompany.com
blog.riverbendandcompany.com
Miele received the highest numerical score for dishwashers in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Kitchen Appliance
StudySM. Study based on 15,853 total responses measuring 18 brands and measures opinions of consumers who purchased
dishwashers from a retail store or their new-home builder during the previous 24 months. Proprietary study results are based
on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in March-April 2010. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
AT ANDERSON INSULATION, WE MAKE SUSTAINABLE CHOICES.
That’s why we’re proud to use Knauf EcoBatt ® Insulation. In fact, Knauf
EcoBatt Insulation contains over 40% post-consumer recycled glass from
bottles collected at curbside. And as a result, we put about 2700 recycled
bottles into every home we insulate, so they’re not only comfortable and
energy-efficient, they’re also more sustainable.
Make the right choice, too. Call Anderson Insulation for all your insulation needs.
Serving New England, Rhode Island,
Southern New Hampshire, Southern Maine
and Massachusetts Since 1949
1-800-472-1717
www.andersoninsul.com
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.”
~Dame Edith Sitwell
342 Great Road - Route 2A
Acton, MA 01720
978.263.0100
301 Newbury Street - Route 1N
Danvers, MA 01923
866.784.7178
www.FirstRugs.com
Antique, Decorative & Contemporary Rugs | Expert Restoration, Repairs & Cleaning
GREEN LIVING
[GREENGOODS]
Boston Green Realty, LLC
Boston Green Realty is Greater Boston’s
premiere boutique green real estate firm
specializing in luxury and high-performance
green homes. As the first Certified
EcoBrokers® in Massachusetts, Leland
and Suzanne DiMeco bring a green point
of view to all their real estate sales. With
extensive training in how to identify and
promote a home’s green features, they
help buyers find homes that are healthy,
comfortable and cost-effective, explaining
which energy efficiency features to look for
and the pitfalls to avoid. By calculating the
dollar value of improvements, they also help homeowners, builders, developers
and investors ensure that their green home or project doesn’t go undervalued.
www.bostongreenrealty.com
Coneco Geothermal
Use the earth’s free, renewable energy for heating, cooling and hot water
with an earth-friendly geothermal system. You could save up to 70 percent
on your energy bill! As turnkey
providers, the geothermal engineering
experts at Coneco Geothermal will
guide you to the right solution and
manage each step of the process—
from initial consultation and design
through drilling/trenching, radiant floor
heating, ductwork, electrical, plumbing, system start-up and maintenance. A system can be configured for either new
construction, an existing home or larger commercial applications. In fact, Coneco
helped the National Park Service convert two National Memorial buildings from oil
to a new geothermal solution. www.coneco.com
Crown Point Cabinetry
Crown Point Cabinetry handcrafts
the finest quality custom cabinetry
for the entire home. Period styles
include Shaker, Arts and Crafts,
early American, Victorian, transitional and contemporary. Finishes
include the eco-friendly Estate
Eggshell paints from Farrow & Ball
as well as Genuine Old-Fashioned
Milk Paint. Your cabinetry can be
designed and built from FSC-certified lumber or any of Crown Point
Cabinetry’s vintage or reclaimed wood species. All custom, available direct,
nationwide. www.crown-point.com
102
SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION
Another thing she recommends
for a green kitchen are efficient appliances. “Use as many Energy
Star–rated appliances as possible.
The refrigerator and dishwasher are
especially important. The dishwasher should have a light wash cycle
option that uses less water.”
Bottom line: it doesn’t take a lot
of effort to be more energy conscious and environmentally friendly
in the kitchen. Something as simple
as adding a convenient bin to sort
recyclables saves you time and may
help you recycle more.
nBath
An environmental issue that’s quickly becoming a global concern is
water usage, and that’s where your
bathroom fixtures can help.
“There is some really great toilet
engineering going on at companies
like Toto and Kohler. The new ones
use 1.28 gallons per flush, versus the
1.6-gallon standard from the early
’90s. And the dual flush uses half
the amount of water when you’re
flushing only liquids,” says Robin
Brenner, owner of Billie Brenner,
Ltd., a showroom at the Boston Design Center specializing in plumbing and door hardware.
The other trend she sees is people giving up a master bathroom tub
and using the shower instead for
that spa relaxation experience. Anyone really thinking green will also
forgo the dozen body sprays and
choose a low-flow rain showerhead.
“They have engineered a way to approximate the experience with 2.5
gallons per minute instead of 10 gallons per minute,” Brenner reports.
For the tub itself, Brenner touts
Wetstyle’s cool green options. All their
soaking bathtubs, lavatory sinks and
vessel sinks are crafted by hand from
Wetmar, the company’s eco-friendly
natural stone composite material.
When choosing a vanity, you’ll find
that many manufacturers have incorporated sustainable materials, paints
and stains. Look for FSC-certified
GREEN LIVING
[GREENGOODS]
First Rugs
Furnishing your home with chemicalfree, eco-friendly materials can result
in healthier air quality as well as
beautiful rooms. First Rugs has a
large collection of all-natural,
unbleached/undyed wool rugs in
varying dimensions, up to palace
size. Known as Gabbeh, these rugs
are woven of handspun wool in knot
styles from coarse-naïve to very fine.
See thousands more hand-knotted wool and silk rugs from First’s world-class collection—including antique, decorative and contemporary rugs from Iran,
Pakistan, Romania, India, Egypt and Tibet—at the company’s showrooms in
Acton and Danvers, Massachusetts. www.firstrugs.com
The Granite Group/The Ultimate Bath Showrooms
Through their exclusive showrooms, The
Ultimate Bath Showrooms, The Granite Group
offers cutting-edge energy-efficient products
such as Buderus boilers and Grundfos pumps.
Through a partnership with Buderus boilers
and heating systems, The Granite Group has
focused on using solar panels for domestic
hot water. The Buderus solar flat plate collector saves homeowners up to 60 percent on
fuel costs. And Grundfos is the world leader in
developing pumps that use less than a 25watt light bulb and will save up to 12,000 gallons of water. In addition, The Granite Group
has partnered with Kohler on their Save Water America campaign
(www.savewateramerica.com) to raise water-conservation awareness and help
people save water at home. www.theultimatebathshowroom.com
Housewright Construction, Inc.
Housewright Construction creates
beautiful structures with cost-efficient green value built into quality
construction. They begin by fabricating a state-of-the-art thermal envelope, verified with thermography, so
you know they deliver the performance they promise. Housewright
incorporates energy efficiency in
every aspect of the construction process. The company’s professionals assess
your building site, then develop the most effective HVAC strategies and offer
local, sustainable building materials. The dynamic nature of green building
demands ongoing education. To bring you the best resources, Housewright’s
people stay current by attending workshops and cultivating partnerships with
specialists in related technologies. Let Housewright show you how beautiful and
affordable green can be. www.housewright.net
104
SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION
woods and low- or no-VOC finishes.
For the finishing hardware touches,
Brenner likes SpectraDécor. “They’ve
always been ahead of the curve with
beautiful eco-friendly hardware and
tile made from recycled materials like
glass, cork and eco-resin,” she says.
Indeed, the company’s recycled glass
and lead-free pewter knobs and pulls
are positively luminous.
Even your bathroom walls can be
greener, with tiles made from coconut
shell processing scraps or shells reclaimed from seafood processing
plants that resemble mother of pearl.
Room
nMedia
With the multiple large-display televisions, DVRs and cable boxes in
today’s homes, reducing energy use
is the fastest way to go green in the
media room. If you’re in the market
for a new television, your first option in the decision tree is usually
“LCD or plasma?”
“To a media specialist like me,
plasma performs better, but they are
nowhere near as efficient as an
LCD,” says Dennis Jaques, systems
designer at Maverick Integration in
Bedford, New Hampshire. “Plasmas
use phosphorous like the old CRTs
did. LCDs use LED lights and save
a lot more energy. But if you really
want the look of a plasma, the new
ones are more efficient. Look for
one with the Energy Star label—
Panasonic offers a model that has
met that qualification. There are
more and more electronics coming
out as Class D, which has a low energy circuit that produces the same
amount of power using less energy.”
An energy initiative passed in
California last year will have a trickle-down effect for the rest of the
country. The new regulation requires that any device in a standby
mode, such as a television that’s
plugged in but not turned on, cannot use more than six watts of energy. That’s about one tenth the
amount of power draw, Jaques says.
Continued on page 110
Craftsmanship.
Integrity.
Value.
Our experienced staff includes National Association of Homebuilders Certified Green Professionals.
5365 Main Street
Newbury, Vermont 05051
802-866-5520
It’s really what you don’t see that matters
Contact Xtreme Audio &
Video to see how we can
add more excitement and
simplicity to the technology
in your home with one of
our state of the art systems.
888-987-6281 | WWW.XTREME-AV.COM
Join us
for a week in
italy
May 9-15, 2011
Enjoy excursions to:
Carrara, Tuscany and Florence
Visit a marble stone quarry, the healing waters of the
Equi Terme, a Chianti winery and Accademia where
the famous statue of David stands.
Trip includes:
• Round trip airfare and hotel accomodations
• 3 nights in Viareggio and 2 nights in Tuscany
• Lunch and wine tasting in Tuscany
• 3 dinners hosted by Stone Technologies
• Breakfast daily
Innovation.
Building Blocks for
Call Guy Fodera at 877.545.9474
for more details.
YOUR DESIGN STARTS HERE.
Visit Our Showroom with an Indoor Slab Selection Area:
5 Draper St., Woburn, MA 01801
Showroom Hours:
M - F (8am - 5pm) | Thurs (5pm - 7:30pm) by apmt | Sat (9am - 2pm)
Call Toll Free: 877.545.9474
www.stonetechonline.com
Gary Hall Photography
GREEN LIVING
CASE STUDY:
A VERMONT VACATION VENUE
BY DIANE M. STERRETT
Architect: Jeff A. Stetter, AIA, Gossens Bachman Architects, Montpelier, Vermont •
General Contractor: Ennis Construction, Ascutney, Vermont • Home: 4 bedrooms,
3 baths, 2,400 square feet, plus detached garage and studio • Site: 5 acres amid 81 acres
of perpetually protected mountain land
Challenge: A young Boston family wanted
a contemporary vacation house in the
woods with a real connection to the outdoors and built in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
Solutions: A highly insulated building envelope that achieved a 54 HERS Index rating, durable and locally sourced materials,
a whole-house ventilation system and
low-VOC paints and products.
The Approach: Architect Jeff Stetter’s
first principle in building green is reducing
the home’s energy load so it doesn’t
need a lot of fuel. His clients embraced
that idea for their sporadically used vacation home. “We discovered these clients
were really like-minded, which proved
great for the project. For the insulation
package we used spray foam and extruded rigid insulation. Ennis [the contractor]
108
SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION
did a lot of air sealing and caulking, and
used double studs,” Stetter explains.
Every insulation detail was seen to, including the concrete fireplace hearth. Although it appears to extend directly outside, it’s padded with three inches of
rigid insulation to make it thermally efficient. The walls are insulated to R-40
rather than the typical R-19, and the numerous windows are triple-paned.
Though some walls have a 40 percent
glass ratio—a result of the homeowner’s
desire to connect to the landscape—the
project still achieved a 54 HERS rating
certified by the Vermont Energy Investment Corp.
“A HERS of 100 is the typical codecompliant American home, so this home
is 46 percent more efficient than a typical home,” Stetter explains.
With such a tight building, a wholehouse energy recovery ventilation system
was important. The unit the homeowners
installed conserves energy by capturing
heat from exhausted air and using it to
pre-heat the incoming fresh air.
On the home’s steep, easterly facing
site, the team’s biggest challenge was to
capture the view and as much sunlight as
possible for passive solar gain. “We
worked to get as much daylight in there
as possible so they don’t have to have the
kitchen light on all the time,” Stetter says.
“They get some nice solar gain in the
morning, and with a tightly insulated shell
it doesn’t need much more.”
Stetter’s favorite green aspect is the
home’s variety of durable materials, such
as locally quarried slate, maple floors,
fiber cement siding and western red
cedar. “They’re products that are going to
last a hundred years, and they require less
maintenance.”
The Result: A vacation home that could
be described as a tree-house for
grownups, a family camp where growing
children can enjoy fresh air and explore
the great outdoors.
Custom. Period.
Furniture that fits. True custom cabinetry.
The perfect fit for your New England home.
800-999-4994 • www.crown-point.com
GREEN LIVING
[GREENGOODS]
Kitchen Views Custom and Kitchen Views at National Lumber
Kitchen Views proudly offers their discerning clients Omega Cabinetry, which has
earned certification in the groundbreaking
Environmental Stewardship Program. This
certification authenticates Omega’s high
level of commitment to the environment
and sustainability of natural resources.
Choose from a wide selection of door
styles, available with custom finishes in
many wood species. There are fashionable
selections for the outside, such as mullion
inserts, and intelligent storage solutions for the inside. All within exceptionally
built all-wood cabinetry and exclusive Omega Armor finishes that combine the
best of fine furniture and easy care. Omega's solid wood case construction
makes your cabinetry ready for a lifetime of use. www.kitchenviews.com
LaBarge Homes
LaBarge Homes, a general contracting business specializing in custom
homes, has been providing high-quality green building, hurricane-resistant
construction and Energy Star–rated
homes since 1996. LaBarge, an
NAHB Certified Green Professional,
uses Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF)
to create beautiful homes that honor
all architectural styles while providing
an energy-efficient environment, with greater design flexibility, comfort and aesthetic advantages than conventional construction. ICF construction provides structural
stability and a healthier living environment while reducing energy consumption by
approximately 40 percent. Though ideal for high-wind oceanfront homesites, ICF
can be used for all energy-efficient homes, additions and pools.
www.labargehomes.com
Maverick Integration
At the 1984 Consumer Electronics
Show, the phrase “smart home” was
born. Twenty-five years later, technology is finally catching up to aspiration
as the “smart grid” becomes a reality. Beyond home theaters and big
screens, Maverick Integration
automation systems can help you be
greener by reducing your energy consumption. Since lighting accounts for 20 percent of your energy bill, Maverick
offers lighting control systems that go beyond dimmers into the realm of learning
your lighting habits, turning lights off when you’re not there and saving you big
energy, which means big money. Come explore green home technology that adds
convenience with Maverick. www.maverickintegration.com
110
SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION
Continued from page 104
“I also have a television that draws
only 40 watts when it’s on, where
the norm for that size three years
ago would have been 440 watts.”
But the biggest energy culprit in
the media room is the DVR/cable
box, because it has to be on 24/7 to
record shows. “It’s a mini-computer
with a hard drive and operating system drawing 400 watts, versus the
very basic digital transport adapter
box that draws 16 watts. It adds up,
especially when you have multiple
systems,” Jaques explains.
The green choice here is to forgo
the DVR, or turn it off when you’re
away. Programming a vacation mode
makes automating your home’s electronics easy. “You hit one button
when you leave and the whole house
goes into a hibernation mode, so the
only things running are the essentials
like the fridge,” Jaques says.
Smart home automation systems
that can adjust lights, temperature,
drapes and audio/video components
are particularly effective for vacation
homes that are closed up for a long
period of time. “It’s the same idea of
turning off the non-essentials, but
the system learns the activity of your
household while you’re there, then
replays your lighting sequences as if
you were living there but trimmed to
50 percent. It beats the single lamp
on a timer hands down for security
purposes,” Jaques says.
Room
nLiving
There’s no reason not to have a totally green living room from floor to
ceiling. Start with an EcoSmart ventless fireplace for ambience. It burns
bioethanol, a renewable carbon-neutral fuel, and comes in many striking
designs, from standalone pieces to
fireplace inserts. When it burns, it
gives off carbon dioxide and water
vapor, just like when a person exhales, explains David Sanborn, owner
of EcoModern Design in Boston.
If you like the look of wood for
your walls, there are more than 200
varieties of FSC-certified or reconsti-
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Enter the New Era
In Smart Living
Tomorrow’s Innovation for Today
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Conveniently Simple. Perfectly Elegant.
Central Music
Central Casting
150 Bear Hill Rd. 384 Route 101
Waltham, MA 02451 Bedford, NH 03110
781.890.1177 603.490.1177
www.maverickintegration.com
Central Video
we’re here
Design
Music
Theatre
Lighting
Control
Telecom
Electrical
Locations across New England
1-800-370-WOOD (9663)
BenjaminMooreExperts.com
GREEN LIVING
[GREENGOODS]
Pellettieri Associates, Inc.
Protecting water quality is essential to
sustaining the health of our environment.
From shoreline restoration to capturing
parking lot runoff, Pellettieri Associates
has been a leader in implementing sustainable technologies that capture, filter
and infiltrate runoff. With extensive knowledge of best management practices
(BMPs), LEED-certified design, rain gardens and pervious paving technologies,
Pellettieri Associates takes great pride in providing innovative design solutions
that exceed industry standards. www.pellettieriassoc.com
RiverBend & Company
RiverBend & Company focuses on all types
of high-quality appliances including Miele
dishwashers, which are exceptionally quiet,
durable and environmentally friendly—
using as little as 1.2 gallons of water per
cycle. “Miele products are high quality and
very green,” says Donna Spanos, coowner. “We feel good about selling these
appliances because they are good for the
environment. Their energy savings, longer
life span and higher level of performance
ultimately result in fewer replacement
costs for both the appliance itself and the
items you put in it.” RiverBend offers qualitative consultations to define the right
products for the lifestyle needs of its clients. www.riverbendandcompany.com
Stone Technologies, Inc.
In an expanding world of eco-friendly surfaces, Stone Technologies offers many
beautiful options. Curava, made of clay pottery fragments and 100 percent recycled
glass in a cement base, features unique
designs in an array of vivid colors and patterns. Or, consider Okite, a compound of
natural aggregates with the unique physical
and mechanical characteristics of natural
quartz, certified by Greenguard for a healthy
living environment. See all your choices in the company’s Woburn,
Massachusetts, warehouse, which displays full slabs of stone. It’s an excellent
opportunity to view the stone’s unique texture, movement and color patterns
before your countertops are custom fabricated and expertly installed.
www.stonetechonline.com
114
SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION
tuted wood veneers that glue on like
wallpaper. You can also use the material to wrap columns and posts.
If you’d rather have your wood on
the floor, Sanborn likes EcoTimber’s
new strand-woven poplar called
Last Dance. “It’s a prefinished solid
hardwood flooring that’s urea and
formaldehyde-free so it meets indoor air quality standards. They
shred the material and compress it
under extreme heat and pressure.
And you can stain poplar—this one
has gray, purple, green and red
tones, and it’s really pretty.”
There are completely organic furniture choices, too. Start with an FSCcertified wood frame, formaldehydefree adhesives, reclaimed metal for
the components inside, natural latex
rubber cushions and organic fabrics.
Every element of a sofa—from the
smallest screw to the pillows—can be
environmentally friendly.
For lighting fixtures, EcoModern
Design carries Eleek, Inc., fixtures
made from 100 percent recycled materials such as recycled cast aluminum or bronze, available in all
shapes and styles. For lower energy
use, consider CFL or LED bulbs.
(See our Plugged In department on
page 42 for more on LED lighting.)
nBedroom
By reducing off-gassing and allergens in the bedroom, going green
can enhance a good night’s sleep.
Natural latex mattresses made from
rubber tree sap have a resilient,
cushiony feel that alleviates pressure points.
“They are hypoallergenic, dust
mite-resistant and chemical-free.
They pass the fire retardant test because the ticking is made with wool,
and wool doesn’t burn,” explains
John Muccino, owner of The Organic
Mattress in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
Plus, they meet Greenguard’s strict
indoor air quality requirements.
You don’t have to give up comfort
for a green pillow, either; several options are available depending on
VERMONT
B
oston Green
Realty, LLC
Massachusetts 1st
Certified EcoBrokers®
229 Berkeley St., Boston
www.bostongreenrealty.com
ANTIQUE
WORLD’S FINEST
S E R P E N T I N E
N
ewly Constructed High Performance
Green Home Located in Newton Centre
vtverde.com
(802) 767-4421
Located at 227 Homer Street in Newton Center, this 7
BR/7BA home contains the latest in green technology
and luxury living combined. This custom built 10,000SF
home includes GEOTHERMAL HEAT & COOLING SYSTEMS,
which has reduced its carbon footprint by 90%. GREEN
FEATURES INCLUDE: Spray foam insulation, On-demand
Tankless hot water systems, Solar tube for natural daylight, Premium LED & CFL lighting, Motion activated room
lighting, High-End Cork flooring, Bamboo Floors, Drought
resistant landscaping and Reclaimed locally sourced
stone. LUXURY FEATURES INCLUDE: Kosher Gourmet
Kitchen, Elevator, Fitness Room, Library, Theatre Room,
Carriage House, and Outdoor Fountain. All this is in walking distance of Newton Center, a large upscale shopping
destination for the western suburbs of Boston.
Offered at $3,800,000
www.227homer.com | Leland DiMeco 617-966-2475
GREEN LIVING
[GREENGOODS]
Vermont Verde Antique
Vermont Verde Antique is the world’s finest
serpentine and has been quarried in
Vermont for more than 100 years.
Serpentine is an extremely durable stone
with the look of marble, yet it is harder and
less porous than many types of granite. It
will not fade, stain or etch like other green
marbles and can be used for any project
inside or outside the home. Locally quarried
in an environmentally sensitive manner,
Vermont Verde Antique can assist in gaining LEED points. A long building life
cycle and the ability to be recycled into other products are major considerations
for LEED and other green certifications. www.vtverde.com
Xtreme Audio & Video
Homeowners who desire to use less energy have long been stumped by a lack of
real-time data. How can you reduce your
energy use without knowing where it’s currently being used? With the introduction of
Viridian software, homeowners finally have
a complete energy management system
that includes all their home technology.
Xtreme AV can now integrate your home
control for real-time energy usage with the ability to schedule events for lights,
shades and HVAC, as well as major appliances like the dishwasher, washer/
dryer, refrigerator and irrigation system. Let the Xtreme AV team show you how
to save some green while protecting the environment and living a much more
energy-efficient lifestyle. www.xtreme-av.com
ANDERSON INSULATION
Boston, (800) 472-1717
www.andersoninsul.com
ARCO, LLC
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
(617) 304-6567
www.arcollc.com
BOSTON ARCHITECTURAL COLLEGE
Boston, (617) 585-0101
www.the-bac.edu/green
BOSTON GREEN REALTY, LLC
Boston, (617) 262-3075
www.bostongreenrealty.com
FIRST RUGS
Acton, Massachusetts, (978) 263-0100
Danvers, Massachusetts, (978) 739-9033
www.firstrugs.com
MAVERICK INTEGRATION
Bedford, New Hampshire, (603) 490-1177
Waltham, Massachusetts, (781) 890-177
www.maverickintegration.com
THE GRANITE GROUP/THE ULTIMATE
BATH SHOWROOMS
Thirteen showrooms across New England
(800) 258-3690
www.theultimatebathshowroom.com
PELLETTIERI ASSOCIATES, INC.
Warner, New Hampshire, (603) 456-3678
www.pellettieriassoc.com
HOUSEWRIGHT CONSTRUCTION, INC.
Newbury, Vermont, (802) 866-5520
www.housewright.net
CONECO GEOTHERMAL
Bridgewater, Massachusetts, (508) 443-5011
www.coneco.com
KITCHEN VIEWS CUSTOM AND KITCHEN
VIEWS AT NATIONAL LUMBER
Nine showrooms across New England
(508) 337-4467
www.kitchenviews.com
CROWN POINT CABINETRY
Claremont, New Hampshire,
(800) 999-4994
www.crown-point.com
LABARGE HOMES
West Harwich, Massachusetts
(508) 432-6360
www.labargehomes.com
116
SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION
your firmness preference. “Natural
latex pillows are kind of bouncy.
There are organic cotton fiber pillows that compress about 50 percent, and organic wool that compresses about 30 percent,” Muccino
says. Again, no harmful chemicals
means you won’t breathe in VOCs
from your pillow all night.
For a totally healthy bed, don’t
forget the sheets, comforters and
blankets. Muccino says the key is to
look for natural fibers: certified organic cotton, certified organic wool
or Eco-Wool, which is processed
with no carbonization and no
bleaching. The Organic Mattress
carries a complete line of eco-bedding, even for the baby’s crib.
There are so many green alternatives it’s impossible to cover them
all here. Ask your designer or contractor to work with you to build in
as many green options as you desire.
But no matter which room you’re redoing, beware of greenwashing.
“I encourage people to speak to
someone in the business. There are
a lot of myths and misinformation
out there, and it’s our job to ferret
out what’s true and what’s not,” says
Williamson from Kitchen Views. •
RIVERBEND & COMPANY
Groton, Massachusetts, (978) 448-8555
www.riverbendandcompany.com
blog.riverbendandcompany.com
STONE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Woburn, Massachusetts, (781) 358-6500
www.stonetechonline.com
VERMONT VERDE ANTIQUE
Pittsford, Vermont, (802) 767-4421
www.vtverde.com
XTREME AUDIO & VIDEO
Pelham, New Hampshire, (888) 987-6281
www.xtreme-av.com
the-bac.edu/green
ONLINE COURSES & CERTIFICATION
Sustainable Residential Design Certificate
Interact with expert faculty in small, graduate-level classes
COURSES INCLUDE
The Zero Energy Home: What, How and If
Green Residential Remodeling and Renovation
Solar Energy: Design with the Sun
Residential Energy Modeling
EDUCATION
PROVIDER
Our Partner
The Sustainable Design Institute at the Boston Architectural College
320 Newbury Street Boston MA 02115 USA
[email protected]
+1 (617)585-0101
Building sustainable practice
arco
llc
design + build
51 Mount Alvernia Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
T: 617 304 6567
W: www.arcollc.com
Facebook: arcollc
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