Living green in the city

Our living room is on the same floor as the kitchen, and the two spaces are connected by an airy stairwell landing that greets visitors as they make their way upstairs from the street-level entry. Defined by a dramatic wall of casement windows that are filled with argon to increase their thermal properties, the light-filled living room captures the very views that drew us to this neighborhood. To take in those views and provide a space for hanging out, we chose a roomy wraparound sectional sofa made without formaldehyde or endangered woods. To give a sense of springtime, we picked fabrics and accessories in soft greens and golden yellows against barely-there soft celery walls. For our floors, we hoped to find a sustainable option other than bamboo, which we worried wasn’t durable enough to withstand the hard knocks of two teenage boys, plus our eight-year-old daughter and her friends, and our new puppy, not to mention my high heels. We were thrilled to find Lyptus, a fast-growing renewable hybrid of the eucalyptus tree that is very strong and boasts a rich hue and a striking grain.

The palette in our bedroom, just down the hall, was influenced by the name of the IceStone color we used for our master bathroom -- Denim Sky. It inspired me to cover the headboard and the bench at the foot of the bed in soft, durable, organic denim. To keep the space soothing, we went with a palette of dusty blues and creams punctuated by bold fuchsia and denim pillows made of recycled fabrics, hand-sewn by my sister Pamelah. Paul designed all the furniture in our bedroom, and a green furniture manufacturer made the pieces with chemical-free infill and sustainable woods.

People say one person can't make a difference but we really disagree. One person makes a huge impact, and one family even greater impact. Many people are surprised to learn our house is green, and that’s exactly the compliment that we hoped for. We want our house to prove that being green doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style. You can create a beautiful home that takes little from the earth and gives back to you in countless ways.

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Reprinted from Dreaming Green by Lisa Sharkey and Paul Gleicher.  Copyright © 2008 Lisa Sharkey and Paul Gleicher. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.

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