Going Green Decorating Sense

We are making an attempt to stay with eco friendly choices as we are decorating our home. I've learned a little along the way. We can build green from the foundation up to the roof, however some choices are very expensive. I'm learning to build green on a budget.

Paint - Prices for low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint varies greatly. Sherwin Williams Harmony is an excellent paint, with good coverage, but at about $40 a gallon, it's not the most economical paint. I chose this paint for my highly visible areas of the house.

For less expensive low VOC paint, I always check the discount close out bin. A couple of our local home improvement stores and hardware stores let you return un-used paint. So if you buy 6 gallons of paint, but you only needed 4 gallons, you can take the leftover paint back to the store. This is where the bargains come in. The store marks the paint down to get it sold quickly.

When choosing paint for my laundry room, I didn't really have a set color, so when I found a gallon of low VOC paint in the bargain bin for $5.00 I decided right then and there, my laundry room is going to be a pretty granny smith green color. I have no idea what the brand name color is, but it looks like a bright green to me. I love it because it's a bright room and very inviting! When I was painting the interior of a closet, I used a pretty peach color I found in the bargain bin. I guess they figured that was a pretty unusual color so I got a super deal on the price at $2.50 a gallon!

A Rocking Chair for My Old Country Porch

I love my big old country home covered porch. Over the years, it has served as an outdoor living space. The extra space comes in very handy when we have a large family gathering. We have it set up with plenty of furniture, and the extra sturdy board on the top rail of the porch rail is a favorite place for the kids to kick back.

This year my darling hubby gave me a big old fashioned rocking chair for my porch. I love it! He chose my chair in a natural oil stain finish. My chair is comfy and it is big enough to rock the babies to sleep.

My late summer evenings are nearly perfect. I take pleasure in the beautiful sunsets and the distant giggles of children, as my grandkids are playing around the old tire swing out by the barn. I enjoy lemonade, good company, and the soft creaking of the old porch as I sit rocking in my new old fashioned rocking chair.

Recycled Glass Tiles for Bathrooms

I didn't realize there were so many options available for tiles. It's way too confusing. Recently we went out and looked at recycled glass tiles. The tiles are in just about every color you can imagine.

Recycled glass tile is a bit pricey, so if we use it, we'll use it for an accent or maybe make a mosaic background for a water fountain feature in the bathroom.

I love the look of the glass when it's wet. I also like the whole idea of recycling something that might otherwise go into our landfills. Recycled glass tiles. Seriously... who knew!

More Bathroom Vanity Options

Jonathan pointed me in the direction of another bathroom vanity store online. It offers free shipping on vanities. BuyVanitiesOnline.com

I love this vanity, and it will look fabulous in my old country home bathroom!

Bathroom Vanity

The options in bathroom fixtures are endless. We haven't made our final design choices in our bathroom remodel. We plan to stay with the style of our old country farm house, but it's fun looking at other design options. I love this bathroom vanity. It's the Montebello vanity, in a cherry wood finish with a black granite countertop. Maybe in my next home.