Make Your Kitchen Green

If you're thinking about freshening up your kitchen, be good to the environment and go about it greenly. 

Here are three EASY ways to make a BIG difference!

1. A new coat of paint always looks great and a new color on the walls, or cabinets, can change the whole feel of a room. By simply choosing a no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint you will spare the enviornment hazardous toxins and yourself the nauseating new paint smell. Many paint retailers are now selling no-VOC options, such as Benjamin Moore's Natura & Eco Spec or Sherwin-Williams' HealthSpec, and they come in all sorts of trendy colors.

2. If you are going to replace an appliance take a look at Energy Star options. While they can cost slightly more initially, the cost of running these appliances will end up saving you money. Energy Star dishwashers are great for the enviornment because they use at least 31% less energy and 33% less water than conventional machines. Being green can also look good, check out this dishwasher by Maytag.

3. Good lighting is always important in a kitchen. You can easily go-green in this area by changing all of your light bulbs to energy-efficient compact flourescents or LEDs (light emitting diodes). New dimmable compact flourescents will help create the soft glow you're after, and LED rope lighting is a great option to highlight a well-designed light cove.