ECO-FRIENDLY NEWS YOU CAN USE

DIDJA KNOW?
Homeowners who opt for green remodeling modifications, including energy-efficient appliances and programmable thermostats, can lower their residences’ energy consumption by 30 to 50 percent. —National Association
of the Remodeling Industry

CABINET ECO-CHIC
Kitchen in need of a face-lift? AyA Cabinet Studio has cooked up a line of cabinetry—the EVO™ collection—that’s both stylish and considerate of the environment.

Paying mind to indoor air quality, the company does not add urea-formaldehyde to the 100-percent post-industrial recycled wood of the cabinets’ plywood and particleboard. (The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cited possible health risks associated with offgassing of urea-formaldehyde and other chemicals.) In addition, the company reports that cabinet finishes, including a UV-cured top coat, do not emit hazardous air pollutants.

For its positive eco-endeavors, AyA Kitchens has been certified by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Accociation’s Environmental Stewardship Program and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); FSC promotes responsible management of the world’s forests.

For more information about EVO cabinetry, call AyA Cabinet Studio in Scottsdale at (480) 998-4292; to locate other showrooms, call (866) 292-4968. To see more examples, go online to ayakitchens.com.



ROCK SOLID
Carved from a single block of Mexican onyx, the bathtub shown above not only is high on glamour, it’s green as well, says Penelope Clarke, president of Arizona Stone Tubs.

In addition to being crafted of a sustainable material, it has the ability to retain heat, making it naturally eco-friendly, she notes. “Your stone tub will save you water and energy because the tub does not need to be reheated as you soak, a major complaint of bathers.”

Personal experience led Penelope and husband Murray Pierce to consider opening their Scottsdale-based company. Surfing the Internet for stone bathtubs for their own home-renovation project, and not finding any nearby that they could see for themselves, the two decided to travel to Mexico to check one out. Not only did they like the tub, they recognized the need for a local distributorship.

Their company’s custom tubs come in a range of stone, including limestone, sandstone, travertine, granite and marble from quarries in many lands. There even is a jade bathtub from China, Clarke says. To learn more, call (602) 569-0116, or go to arizonastonetubs.com.