eco chic - Sara Snow

eco chic
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TO MOST OF US, THE WORDS
“eco-friendly house” conjure up images of
minimalist decorating and hi-tech solar
panels. So we were pleasantly surprised to
discover that Sara Snow’s home is just as
warm and inviting as she is. “I was torn,”
Sara says, discussing her search for a
house. “I wanted to build a modern ecohome but I feel strongly that as a nation
we waste space and materials by
constantly building new when we tire of
the old.” So instead, Sara and her
husband, Ryan, bought a 1920s colonial
in a historic part of Indianapolis, which
they share with their dog, Makana. “We
wanted to maintain the architectural
integrity of the house,” says Sara, “so we
couldn’t lay bamboo floors or do some of
the other cool things I recommend.” Sara
and Ryan restored their home, cutting
down on waste and upgrading with green
supplies like denim insulation.
L Choosing accessories like the
vases on the mantel, handmade
by a mom-and-pop artisan
team, is a fun way to go green
with your decorating.
L Groupings of potted plants
help circulate oxygen in this
room and throughout the house.
living room
L For rugs and blankets, Sara
looks for natural materials
instead of man-made synthetics.
This rug is tufted wool and silk.
Energy-efficient windows were a big
improvement in this room (the old ones
were painted shut). Besides cutting
back on energy costs, they can block
most UV rays, which fade paint and
fabrics, in addition to damaging skin.
L Another piece created with
recycled materials: the
magazine basket—it’s crafted
out of an old tire!
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURA MOSS
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L What Sara puts in her body is
important to her, so along with allorganic food, she always drinks
herbal tea—her inventory includes
one for every mood or ailment.
L By growing potted herbs on the
counter, Sara always has fresh
ingredients available.
L The natural stone countertops
were left unpolished to give them
a more earthy feel.
L A hemp rug in the center of the
kitchen floor warms up the space
and softens the floor underfoot.
Solid wood, natural
stone, ceramic and
organic cotton freshen
Sara’s classic kitchen.
cook’s central
Sara and Ryan completely renovated the kitchen.
“We ripped out the cabinets and repurposed them
in our laundry room; I couldn’t stand the idea of
sending them to the dump,” she says. They made
sure that the new cabinets were solid wood, not
standard pressed wood (like particleboard), which
can often emit formaldehyde into indoor air.
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WOMANSDAY.COM L APRIL 15.2008
HAIR & MAKEUP (previous page): KAT STERRETT
L The beautiful clay teapot and jars
were made by local artisans. Buy
locally to support your community
and cut back on fuel from shipping.
LNothing to hang on your walls? Try
this reusing trick: Frame a sheet of
old wrapping paper with a large mat in
a simple white painted frame.
LOrganic cotton bedding has come a
long way from its earlier incarnation.
These shams have a trendy ombré
pattern and elegant edging.
LStick with soy-based candles that
have lead-free wicks; other types can
unleash harmful chemicals into your
indoor air and the environment.
sleepy time
Solid wood furniture is the backbone
of this minimalist room. “You’re in the
bedroom for many hours a day,” says
Sara, “so you want to make sure the
room has the cleanest air possible.”
She uses very little fabric here other
than the bedding. “Fabric collects
dust, so the less fabric you have in
your home, the healthier it will be.”
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WOMANSDAY.COM L APRIL 15.2008
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How did you get interested in green living?
My dad was one of the biggest pioneers in the natural products industry
(he and his partners started Eden Foods), and he believed that the
more you can control your food and where it’s coming from, the better
off you’ll be. We always had huge gardens and grew most of the food we
ate. We lived in a house that was heated half by solar power and half
with a wood stove, so I definitely grew up living a green lifestyle.
soothing
bath
The master bathroom was a
bit of a gut job. Here, Sara
and Ryan pulled out the
original 1920s pedestal sink
and toilet and recycled them
by furnishing a new bathroom
on the first floor with the
fixtures. The original subway
tiles remain; missing tiles
were replaced with ones
found at salvage shops.
New, modern touches blend
seamlessly with old fixtures.
LSara displays natural
soaps, which have no
harmful chemicals or
additives, along with
organic and sustainable
hemp washcloths.
LAs in every room,
compact fluorescent
lightbulbs illuminate
the bathroom.
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What is your philosophy of
living green?
Everyone can do something.
A lot of people get caught up
with “I can’t afford to shop at
an organic market or I don’t
live near one,” but everyone
can recycle. Everyone can
buy something or grow
something local, even if it’s
just one herb on your kitchen
counter. Everyone can clean
with natural cleaners; vinegar
is one of the cheapest things
you can get. Just mix it with
equal parts water for an allpurpose cleaner that you can
use throughout the house.
How should we implement
changes in our lives?
Very few people are going to
be able to do everything—who
has the time? The best
question to ask yourself is:
“What are the areas in my
daily routine that create the
most waste?” Is it your
commute? Try to carpool. Is it
the food you buy? Focus on
local. Is it that you’re a crazy
consumer who’s always on the
lookout for the newest and
coolest items? Try to take
better care of your things so
they last a little longer.
So if the key is to be
realistic, what would be going
overboard?
Going through all of the
closets and cupboards in your
home and throwing everything
away—you’d be creating
waste. Instead, use up your
glass cleaner and when it’s
gone, recycle that bottle by
filling it up with your vinegar
all-purpose cleaner. Finish up
your incandescent lightbulbs,
and when they die, replace
them with energy-efficent
compact fluorescents.
SHOPPER’S GUIDE, PAGE 136
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my green life
1. Tree of Life recycled
oil drum wall art, $324;
800-233-6011.
2. John Hardy small
silver bamboo hoop
earrings. Proceeds plant
5 bamboos on Nusa
Penida island in Bali.
$175; 888-838-3022.
3. Under the Canopy
organic cotton sheets,
$150 for full set; 888226-6799. A cheaper
option: organic cotton
sheets at Target, $50 for
queen set; target.com
4. Dirt Candles 10-oz soy
candle in Love Machine,
$24; dirtcandles.com
5. Green Glass tumblers
in Willow Clear/Vintage,
$37.50 for a set of 4;
greenglass.com
6. Weleda Lavender
Relaxing body oil, $17;
usa.weleda.com
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Rethink takeout. Don’t take more ketchup
packets or napkins than you need—extras just
end up unused in the dump.
L Ditch water-hogging baths and take shorter
showers. Cutting a shower from 10 minutes to 5
minutes can save 20,000 gallons of water a year.
L Buy organic cotton. Cotton is one of the world’s
most heavily sprayed crops, using 25 percent
of the world’s insecticides.
L Save fuel no matter what car you drive.
Check your car’s filter; a clean one can
increase fuel efficiency by 10 percent.
L
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WOMANSDAY.COM L APRIL 15.2008
7. Loomstate
“Kharma” organic cotton
jeans, $165; 212-2192300. Another good
choice: organic denim
from fairindigo.com, $69.
8. Reisenthel collapsible
market basket, $39.95;
888-707-3879.
9. Pangea Organics
Italian Red Mandarin with
Rose lip balm, $13;
pangeaorganics.com
10. ECOS Magnolia &
Lily laundry detergent,
$12 for 100 oz;
ecos.com
11. Prius hybrid gas/
electric car, starts at
$21,100; toyota.com
for dealers. wd
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAURA MOSS (Snow); TODD HUFFMAN (all stills
except #1, #11). HAIR & MAKEUP: KAT STERRETT (Snow)