The Green Life

When Chris and Anne Ladner moved into their Pleasant Valley home they knew they wanted to remodel with environmentally friendly materials and features. Chris is president and CEO of Eco Integration, a sustainability consulting firm, and a LEED-accredited professional, and he easily turned his experience to his own home. The Ladners redesigned much of the house, but instead of throwing away used materials, they donated light fixtures, toilets, doors and more to the Habitat for Humanity store, Restore, in North Little Rock. This greatly reduced the waste from the project, and allowed for recycling and repurposing. "We downsized from a larger home to a smaller one within walking distance of school and work," Anne says. "We focused on purchasing as few items as possible, but always bought quality pieces so we don't have to replace them before the end of their useful lifespan." The Ladners' home is a great example of how a well-planned design and environmentally conscious materials can blend for a comfortable and beautiful home.

Rug. Wool rugs are a great sustainable choice because the wool doesn't house the toxins of standard nylon or other synthetic materials, and it is an easily renewable material. Television stand. This stand from Nichols Furniture and uses Forestry Stewardship Council certified wood. Television. This television uses far less electricity than other models thanks to its Engery Star certification. Bamboo floors. Bamboo is a very sustainable and renewable resource, and these Jacobean-stained bamboo floors from C & F Carpet & Flooring are beautiful. "We wanted to look of hardwoods, but wanted a sustainable resource," Anne says. The Ladners requested a low-VOC flooring glue to be used in the installation to eliminate toxic fumes and contaminants, and they clean the floors with GreenGuard, a certified non-toxic environmentally friendly hardwood floor cleaner.   Curtains. When used as window treatments, dense fabrics, such as burlap, provide wonderful insulation by reducing the mingling of exterior and interior air temperatures. Burlap is also healthy thanks to its natural fiber base.

Appliances. All the Ladners' appliances are Energy Star certified, which meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy. These appliances can save families roughly a third of their energy bill without sacrificing features, style or comfort. Available at Metro Builders Supply in North Little Rock.

Walls. The walls are painted with color by Pratt and Lambert using Sherwin Williams Pro Green low-VOC paint, which greatly reduces toxins and off-gassing associated with regular paint.

Cabinets. Although the Ladners replaced the cabinetry, the original cabinets were repurposed in the garage for Chris' workshop.

Lighting. Along with compact florescent bulbs throughout the house, the can lights in the kitchen use LED bulbs, which run off a fraction of the electricity of standard lights.

Toilet. This Sterling dual-flush toilet from Kohler regulates the amount of water used thanks to two flushing options. One button allows for smaller flushes, while the other uses more water for larger flushes. This will save the Ladners' family of four up to 6,000 gallons of water a year.

Showerhead. Installing a low-flow showerhead reduces water consumption to one gallon per minute without sacrificing water pressure.  

Walls. The Ladners continued the low-VOC paint in the bathroom and throughout the house.

Counter. Instead of replacing out the original countertop and vanity in the bathroom, Chris and Anne decided to cover the surround with silver leaf, affording an updated look.