Professionals Tout Sustainable Home options

From the home building process to interior design, homebuyers have plenty of options for considering sustainability.

“Sustainable design also goes hand-in-hand with efficiency,” said Botond Laszlo of the design and build firm MHM Living.

For example, Laszlo recommends addressing the building envelope (foundation, walls, windows, and exterior doors) to avoid a “leaky” less efficient house that lets more pollutants enter.

Improving insulation and air filtration in any major remodel “pays off 10-fold” while also making a home more comfortable, Laszlo explained. “You’re not going to have hot spots or cold spots.”

Homeowners looking to be more environmentally conscious can also opt for energy-efficient appliances and man-made materials in cabinetry, flooring, and other places, Laszlo said.

Remodelers could also look for opportunities to repurpose items like a fireplace, existing wood flooring, or trim pieces, Laszlo suggested. “When it comes [to] sustainability and efficiency, it all adds up.”

Interior designers Bryan Yates of Yates Desygn and Roz Murphy of Roz Murphy Designs also consider material choices.

“From a new construction aspect, people are paying attention to the materials and where things are being made, and it’s not just about sustainability; it’s also about a global economic perspective,” Murphy said. “A lot of times clients will pay more for that knowing there’s a sustainable aspect to that.”

Yates noted that health concerns could also affect design choices, especially when homeowners or their children have allergies or other conditions.

“It’s important to really kind of read and understand what you’re using – the fabrics that you’re using, the paints that you’re using, the materials that you’re bringing in,” Yates said.

 Yates and Murphy also recommend repurposing and reusing furniture and other heirlooms.

“For me, sustainable design involves integrating old pieces into projects,” Murphy said. “It works twofold. It works from a sustainability perspective, but also to really create a layered sense of personality in a home.”

Repurposed pieces don’t necessarily need to match a home’s aesthetic, Yates said.

“When our clients have pieces that have either a significant meaning to them or a significant value to it, we always would like to incorporate that within the space,” Yates said. “We feel interiors should tell a story of life and travel and be curated in a collective way.”