Designing your ecological kitchen

Designing your own ecological kitchen

What if new kitchens could be more environmentally friendly? To design an ecological kitchen, it is important to choose the right materials, cabinetry and equipment that will meet your needs, while also having a lower impact on the environment. 

Raison Homes can help you design and implement a more responsible kitchen, in line with your values and goals. 

Choose eco-friendly furniture

An eco-responsible kitchen must be equipped with either durable materials that will last a long time, or pre-loved furniture - both of these options can make your kitchen dramatically more environmentally friendly. 

Renovate your existing kitchen

What could be more environmentally sound than upcycling your existing kitchen? 

This means nothing is lost or wasted in the process and everything is transformed into an exciting new kitchen! Repainting and even changing the layout of your existing kitchen can make it feel massively different once it is done. 

Doing something new with the old is also an opportunity to sort through the cupboards and drawers, and figure out what bothers us and what we want to change about the current kitchen. Adding new shelves, handles and a good coat of paint can sometimes make a massive difference at a fraction of the cost of a new kitchen. 

Sustainable kitchen work surfaces

There are a lot of options for environmentally friendly kitchen work surfaces, but we thought we would highlight 3 of them. 

Certified Solid Wood 

A durable and recyclable material, wood has been used in kitchens for as long as anyone can remember. There are a lot of wood types out there to choose from, the two most popular choices are normally Oak and Bamboo, these two materials have different looks and feels to them, but both can be recycled, re-sealed and even sanded down to return them to their original state. A good wood worktop can last a lifetime if maintained properly. 

Stainless steel

Prized for the modern touch it brings, stainless steel is known to be infinitely recyclable, strong and durable. Stainless steel work surfaces are most commonly found in professional kitchens, due to their ease of maintenance and longevity. 

 Compressed Paper

Compressed paper worktops are just that, compressed recycled paper. It can be used in various applications, like furniture - not just worktops.  It is extremely durable and versatile, even at the end of its life it can be recycled, re-polished and re-purposed for future projects. 

APPLIANCES

Large appliances are the most energy intensive by far. For a greener kitchen it is worth considering the most energy efficient appliances available, and buying smaller supplemental appliances (ie, An Air fryer or slow cooker) so that you don’t have to always use the bigger appliances which costs more to run. 

Reduce your water consumption

Quick tip! Avoid doing some chores under the guise of being more ecological. As water becomes more and more precious, using a dishwasher is actually a good idea; In Fact, the Eco program on most dishwashers is more environmentally friendly than washing your dishes by hand! so that you don’t have to always use the bigger appliances which costs more to run