Lyle worked with the environmentalist’s motto of reduce, reuse and recycle when furnishing her new Hailey home. The coffee table is recycled (from the Gold Mine Thrift Store in Ketchum), the dining room table is a hand-me-down from her grandmother, and the wood stove, which originally did not fit well with the home’s layout, was repositioned instead of thrown out. The majority of the rest of the furniture is from Ikea. "They’re very environmentally conscious," said Lyle. "They do a lot of low-VOC products and good particle-board, reclaimed types of materials. The only downside is the longevity, it’s not forever. But it was the best we could afford and still be green."

Decorate habitat
create an eco-friendly habitat
writer: Jennifer Tuohy
photographer: Chris Pilaro

Interior designer Sarah Lyle was thrilled to be able to practice what she preaches when she moved into her Hailey home last year. Her fledgling company, White Canvas Designs, specializes in finding environmentally conscious, green-aware materials for its clients.

Source: Is it from a sustainable source or from a rapidly diminishing natural resource? "There are certain companies that specialize in green furniture—they source the frames for their sofas from certified wood companies, and their cushioning uses cotton polyester from socially responsible factories," said Lyle.

Energy: Consider the energy use required to produce and deliver the item. The less energy expended, the less strain is put on the planet’s resources. A prime example is carpet. "There is a chart that shows the highest production energy used for raw materials. Out of aluminum, lumber, plastics, glass and carpet, carpet was the second highest," said Lyle. This is due to the nylon in most carpets, which is manufactured using petroleum-based products. There are alternatives. Wool is an environmentally friendly product and Nylon 6.6 is another, newer green alternative. "Nylon 6.6 is a synthetic recycled nylon. A lot of major carpet companies are starting to use it, and it has the added bonus of being recyclable." Lyle recently worked on Ruscitto Latham Blanton’s remodel of The Community School in Sun Valley, where she specified a Nylon 6.6 carpet from Shaw. "At the end of that carpet’s life span, which Shaw says is 15 years, they will take it back and find a way to mill it."

Life span: How long before the product will need to be replaced and end up in a landfill? "Don’t buy an organic cotton chair if you know your dogs and kids will take it apart in a year," said Lyle. "It would be better to buy a leather chair that will last longer, even though it doesn’t outwardly say that it’s an environmentally friendly product. Sometimes the amount of use you will get out of something is more important than its other green credentials."

In the past few years, manufacturers and retailers have started to provide eco-friendly products that either use recyclable materials or source from sustainable natural resources. Some of the now more commonly available green products include wallpaper, paint, lighting, carpets, flooring and furnishings. Most companies loudly proclaim their green credentials, but don’t take everything at face value. Do the research. In an effort to cash in on this exploding consumer market, some green products are being hyped dishonestly. Last November, environmental marketing watchdog Terra Choice released a report titled The Six Sins of Greenwashing (available online at terra choice.com), which claims many companies deliberately mislead the public about the environmental practices of that organization, from being vague to outright fibbing. Search Web sites such as usgbc.org, openco.org and buildinggreennc.com to help select the right green products. Secondly, look for the "ECO" logo and "Green Seal," which are independent certifications that a product is green.

One of the simplest, safest ways to be green is to shop locally. "If you buy furniture from a local store that is not FSC-certified wood, that’s OK, as they have location on their side," said Lyle. "It’s a balancing act. If you hit all three—source, energy and life span—that’s great, but two or even one is better than none."

A greener remodel