Modernism is a trend of thought that affirms the power of human beings to make, improve, deconstruct a reshape their built and designed environment, with the aid of scientific knowledge, technology and practical experimentation, thus in it’s essence both progressive and optimistic. The term covers many political, cultural and artistic movements rooted in the changes in Western society at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. Broadly, modernism describes a series of reforming cultural movements in art and architecture,music, literature and the applied arts which emerged in the decades before 1914. Modern (quantum and relativistic) physics, modern (analytical and continental) philosophy and modern number theory in mathematics are, however, also said to date from this period. Embracing change and the present, modernism encompasses the works of thinkers who rebelled against nineteenth century academic and historicist traditions, and confronted the new economic, social and political aspects of an emerging fully industrialized world. Some people divide the 20th Century into movements designated Modernism and Postmodernism, where others see them as two aspects of the same movement.

There are many contributing factors that make a home green or eco-friendly. My job focuses in on cabinetry. Anyone who has bought, or looked into cabinetry, knows that it is a major portion of any remodel or new home kitchen and bathroom budget. There is an abundance of great options out there that will make your kitchen look beautiful and provide lasting quality.  However, you may not have considered  what the cabinets are made with and what impact that could have on our environment as well as on your own home.

I would venture to say that most people, given the option and awareness, would want cabinets in their home that are free of formaldehyde adhesives. Cabinets using waterborne paints and stains that emit 0% VOC’s (volatile organic compounds)  and  0% HAPs (hazardous air pollutants) would also be highly desirable. We should all ask for wood that  comes from a FSC forest. Lastly, the products we choose throughout our homes should be bought locally to help cut down on the amount of energy it takes to deliver the products.

Of course there are many other great ways to green up your kitchen. More on that to come.

Today I would like to highlight a great line of cabinetry called Executive Kitchens. I have had the privilege of visiting their facility in South Carolina. They make no claims of being perfect but there is a strong effort to be as green as possible. They not only market their products as green but they have implemented many great ways to reduce their carbon footprint and be responsible. That is why I delight in using Executive Kitchens when the opportunity arises.

http://www.executivekitchens.com/ecofriendly.php

“The thing you produce ought to be compatible with what’s there. It should live with it both in scale and some sort of human factor. The scale is human.”

Andrew M. Geller

We strive to design space which, in the end, satisfies the particular needs of the people using the space, while becoming a reflection of their lifestyle and their personality. It is important the user enjoys the room because it functions well, because it looks beautiful and because it feels comfortable. Only then is a design project  successful..

Geller was taught this very early on in his career and for good reason – it is the foundation of good design. It doesn’t have to be modern to have the proper elements. When a room or building is done properly, you may not be able to express what you feel but something tells you it is right. It agrees with your senses.

We now live in a age where we can readily research what many great architects have known for years. What’s more exciting than ever is the great products that are available.  Bamboo floors to recycled glass counter-tops, formaldehyde free cabinetry to solar panels… the list goes on and on.  It is good to know that we can create a properly scaled  living space and do it responsibly at the same time. These are tough times but at the same time – very exciting.

I started this blog in hopes to connect myself to others who see the value in reducing our carbon footprint while here on this earth. I am not a world class expert on the subject. Just a small piece of the problem that wants to do his part to be responsible and promote better living practices for my family and the world in which I live.

I am a kitchen and bath designer by trade with a focus on – you guessed it – green design. I find the notion of providing cabinetry that does dot emit harmful chemicals very sensible. Hence the name GreenRoomer.

Well fans,  you may have noticed my blog name “GreenRoomer”. This post will attempt to explain my purpose to be here and the silly name.

Let me say at the onset that I am a huge fan of “Green”. (I’m hoping we all know what green means by now) “What has lead you to that way of thinking” you may ask? Well, I think first and foremost was my belief that this is a finite world and we have finite resources. Secondly, it is a belief that we all should be thinking about how to consume responsibly with future generations in mind. Look at the mess we are in these days. What if only one generation before us had the heart to think of what it might be like when the population doubles on Earth. Do you think they should of built cars instead of rapid transit? I don’t. Do you think they could of built homes that cost a fraction to heat and cool? You’re darn straight they could of. Do you think, in Los Angeles where I grew up, they perhaps could of thought about the amount of smog that would be created when the tire  companies, the automobile companies and oil companies bought up all the track from the cable car company so we would all be forced to drive cars? Ask any kid who lived through a Los Angeles summer what their  lungs  felt like after swimming in a pool. I can tell you – worse than smoking after 30 years. It was awful.

But  what if they had thought about the world they would be handing over to us. What if they could clearly see that there making a profit had a profoundly negative affect on the future. What if they knew that they were creating a dependence on oil that came from nations that hate us and would love to cause great harm to us. I would like to think they would have thought twice and made choices that wood help there grandchildren. Not  create a toxic nightmare for them.

You may say “ah -it’s all left wing hype”- “there is no such thing as global warming”- ” those tree huggers are just a bunch of nuts anyway”. My friends (both of you), I am here to say this is not a “Left” or “Right” issue. But it is a wrong or right issue. Is it wrong to want to breathe clean air? Is it wrong to want to be independent of oil when we know it’s running out and polluting the earth? Is it wrong to want to live in a home that isn’t loaded with volatile  organic chemicals or emitting formaldehyde? Is it wrong to want to stop the epidemic of asthma and allergies that we see nowadays?  If that is leaning to the left than call me a south paw. Nothing chaps my hide more than to hear someone dismiss “green” as hype. I understand the mistrust we all have in politicians but please don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

Please consider that consuming less is not only going to help us here and now but our children as well. Please research to see if what I say is true. I am convicted that to much is given, much is required. I do believe that God has given us this green earth to enjoy  His beauty but I also believe there is responsibility that comes along with it. We should treat this planet no different than we would our own bodies. We wouldn’t want to eat food that we know would cause a heart attack no more than we should consume endlessly and produce excessive waste that ends up being toxic.

That my friends, is why I have gone green. Not to join any group of cool people. Not to make money, but, to do what is right. To think of future generations and give them the opportunity to enjoy this life too.

If I haven’t lost you…stay tuned for more.