Thinking Green.

St. Patrick’s Day seems like the perfect opportunity to think "Green.”  My beloved 323 will become the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified pre-existing home in Alexandria, Virginia.  In other words, not only are we bringing our circa 1936 dreamhouse-in-the-making into the 21^st century, but we will be making energy and eco-conscious choices that will hopefully allow it to seamlessly transition into the next. (For those of you who haven’t nodded off and are interested in learning more about LEED, you can access more information via this link: 
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222.)

Here’s the thing…I’m not really a “Green” gal.  Yes, I have embraced chemical-free cleaning products, try to buy local and organic, and would never have considered anything but no-VOC paints to cover the walls of my son’s nursery.  Nevertheless, the idea of countertops made from compressed cardboard boxes or furniture made from recycled bottles launches me back in time to college coffee tables created from precariously stacked cases of Busch Light.

Hours of tireless googling later, I emerge enlightened.  Green is mainstream...heck, even kind of fashionable.  Check out the kitchen in the Kennedy's "EcoFabulous" residence:

Showcasing white, recycled wood cabinets, quartz-like recycled content countertops and a gleaming bamboo floor, what's not to love?  Many more inspirational rooms  (they have 6 kids!) can be found on their website:
http://ecofabulous.com/ecohome/kennedy-green-home/

Maybe it is easy being Green.