July/August  2000

Healthy Homes
Ideas for making your home a healthier place

You eat organic foods and filter your tap water. You exercise and rest your body, and you've developed some enriching spiritual practices. But have you paid much attention to your living quarters? Ideally, your home should be a place that encourages pleasure, promotes serenity and supports health, while reflecting esthetics and ethics as you define them. Sounds like a tall order ~ but you don't necessarily need a complete overhaul. Quick, health-boosting home improvements can be as simple as moving furniture around, adding tranquility-producing paint colors and replacing your old cleaning products. We've rounded up a cornucopia of ideas to make your living quarters healthier, from grand schemes to little details. Check out these ways to make your home sweet.

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From the ground up: Building your own home

Location, location, location ~ if you're lucky enough to be building your own house, the first question should be, "Where on the lot does the structure belong?" Each site will have its own best orientation toward water, light, westerly winds and views, so consider the location of your house carefully, using your own intuition and the guidance of a skilled architect.

The best way to find an architect is through word of mouth ~ ask your friends and neighbors who designed their houses, and whether they're happy with the results. Or call the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Denver at 303-446-2266, and ask them for a referral. You can also view portfolios on file at the AIA's office. Peruse them carefully and note whether they reflect an appreciation of the sites on which they're constructed, and of Colorado's natural surroundings.

With the help of your architect, locate a contractor who is sensitive to your health and environmental concerns. Contact the Green Points, a building program run by the city of Boulder that encourages environmentally sound building practices, such as energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality and pollution reduction. Green Points can be reached at 303-778-1400. Even if you don't live in Boulder, you can ask a contractor to follow the environmentally friendly construction practices spelled out by Green Points. If you're apartment or condo shopping, look for buildings that follow Green Points guidelines.

Let the sun shine in

Colorado is blessed with 300 sunny days a year. Take advantage of that happy fact with lots of windows ~ ideally, two in every room. Protect south- or west-facing windows with overhangs to block summer's high sun, while letting winter's low sun shine on in. Windows can also be used to frame an aspect of the landscape or garden, creating a sort of three-dimensional "art." And consider solar design. A passive solar home doesn't necessarily cost more to build. The benefits: solar homes increase natural lighting and reduce energy costs, with no additional up front costs. 

Regarding size: it doesn't always matter. If you're thinking about expanding into roomier digs, consider using your expansion money to add one or two small personal features. Denver architect Eileen Moore Koenigsberg asks clients to take a trip down memory lane and recall sentimental details from past homes. Does a breakfast nook issue forth a host of sweet memories? Do bay windows or intimate gardens give you a sense of comfort and ease? Those kinds of little features personalize a home and create a more comfortable environment.

The sensitive kind: Environmentally friendly building materials

Home, not-so-sweet home ~ like it or not, one of the most toxic places you can be is in your own dwelling. Chemical glue, solvents, stains, paints and carpeting create toxic fumes which can cause headaches, allergic reactions in sensitive people and temporary compromises to the immune system. But natural solutions exist. Look for water-based, rather than solvent-based sealants, and use old-fashioned hard wax oil finishes on floors, counters and cabinets, for a less toxic option. Low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints have fewer fumes, and casein-based paints are also available. Casein, a milk-protein, was used long before water-based latex was invented. It makes a toxic-free paint but has no protective coating, so it can't be cleaned.

If you're sensitive to fumes, be careful with carpet selections, since synthetic carpets give off toxic fumes. Totally natural wool carpeting is a natural ~ if somewhat pricey ~ investment. If wool is out of your price range, carpets made from soda bottles cost about the same as synthetic carpets, but have the advantage of coming from recycled materials.

All carpets are havens for dust, molds and mites, so for the cleanest indoor air, consider alternatives to carpets. Vinyl flooring isn't a great option ~ it has a ten-year lifespan and releases irritating polyvinyl chlorides. If you're set on vinyl, coat it with a water-based sealant to prevent off-gassing. Otherwise, try old-fashioned linoleum. Linoleum is made of natural ingredients like cork and beeswax, lasts for 50 years and is easy to repair. Tile is another good choice, and wood floors are a rustic and elegant addition. Bamboo, a renewable resource that's harder than wood and comparable in price to maple, may be a better option. For more information about less toxic building materials, call Planetary Solutions at 303-442-6228, or Eco-Products at 303-449-1876. Green Building Material by Ross Spiegel and Dru Meadows (John Wiley and Sons, 1999) is a good resource for product information and specifications, or visit www.oikos.com for more information on green building materials.

Home by design

What can you do to make an existing house or apartment healthier ~ both physically and spiritually? First, focus on interior design, including lighting, color and furniture placement. And before you do anything else, clean it up ~ a cluttered and chaotic environment creates mental and emotional disorder. Get rid of as much junk as possible. Stow papers in credenzas and desks, rethink extraneous furniture and pare down knick-knacks. A dozen anti-clutter books can get you started. One worth reading: Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Cleaning House by Cheryl Mendelson (Scribner, 1999).

Next, take a look at your lighting. Task lighting ~ small, directed lamps with higher-intensity bulbs ~ in working areas like offices, kitchens and dens allows eyes do their job without strain. Use soft lighting for the rest of the space to give eyes a break and create a mellow mood. And consider installing light switches with dimmers to offer more versatile lighting options, while extending the life of the bulbs.

 Then think about color. If you want a lively atmosphere in dens and living areas, choose shades of red and yellow or other warm tones. For more contemplative areas, including the bedroom and meditation areas, try a cool color scheme with shades of blues and greens. Shades of natural, cream, off-white or white work well for kitchens. Most important, use colors that are pleasing to you ~ your intuition is the best guide. And look for "full spectrum" paints that include tiny bits of all colors for a more finished, eye-pleasing look.

Once you have the basics down, add elements that appeal to all five sense. Linda Morrell, owner of Linda Morrell Interiors in Niwot, suggests chimes or indoor water features, evocative aromas like potpourri, candles and incense, even a dish of candy (remember Grandma's lemon drops?). Varied textures on pillows, afghans, wall hangings or furniture add character and movement. And before you head out to the closest home improvement store, take stock of what you already have and try to use what's on hand. Aunt Mary's hand-crocheted afghan, attractively framed photos of family and friends, and mementos from your travels add interest and bring back fond memories. For more ideas, check out Healing Home by Suzy Chiazzari (Trafalgar Square Publishing, 2000) and Welcome Home: Tips For Creating a Haven for Mind, Body and Spirit by Elizabeth Knight (Storey Books, 2000).

Go with the flow

Feng shui, an ancient Chinese system, can promote energy flow and, practitioners say, encourage a more harmonious and fulfilling life. "If you can imagine the energy coming into the house like a river, and imagine how it would meander, that's what you want," says Debra Condra, owner of Serenities Feng Shui Store in Aurora. "Not straight, fast lines ~ these gather too much energy and take it out too quickly. Also, you don't want the energy to get stopped." Energy tends to accumulate in corners or dead-ends. Round out these areas with small pieces of furniture, lush plants or draped materials. You can further promote movement in your home by placing feathers, mobiles or wind chimes to harness air currents.

The practice of feng shui has many layers, and changes can be dramatic or subtle, says Eiko Okura, a feng shui practitioner based in Denver. Beginners can learn from dozens of books, but if you have the resources, a trained practitioner is worth the investment.

We've got the power

Electricity is a fact of modern life. So as long as we're on the grid, we can use it more consciously. Take a look at three things: Where does your energy come from, where is it going and what effects is it having along the way?

You can choose to support wind energy by opting for the wind source program offered by the Public Service Company of Colorado. When you agree to support wind energy, Public Service will import more energy from wind generated sources, and less from fossil fuels. Your utilities bill will be a little higher, but you'll be supporting a renewable resource. For more information, contact Public Service at 800-772-7858, or visit www.psco.com. For more information on other off-grid power sources, contact the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden at 303-275-3000.

Next, look at where the energy is going in your home, and be especially conscious of waste. Turn off lights and pull the plug on VCRs, CD players, computers and anything else with a standby mode. Also, consider switching from incandescent bulbs to energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs. Reducing your power consumption any way you can reduces the emission of greenhouse gases ~ a globally healthy choice.

Another reason to turn off the juice ~ your personal health. While the jury's still out on the effect of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), lots of anecdotes say they're not particularly healthy. Rather than worry about all the currents from cell phones, transmission wires and electronic devices, focus first on your sleeping accommodations, says Charlie Bolta, owner of American Environmental Products in Fort Collins. In most bedrooms, the voltage flowing through sleeping bodies is significantly higher than nature would have it. Sleep patterns are disturbed by EMFs, he says, and that shows up as stress, physically or behaviorally. He recommends turning off breakers at night (obviously, leave breakers on if you have life-saving medical equipment in your home).

Cleaning house

Every time you haul out the Clorox and Spic and Span, you're introducing more toxins into your home ~ and the environment. A better solution: low-environmental impact products and techniques. Pare down cleaning routines to protect your family and the planet from bleaches, formaldehyde and other toxins. Use more basic and natural supplies. And before you use any kind of cleaner, try straight water, says Fran Baxter of Wheatridge, a member of the Sierra Club's Lifestyle Education Committee.

Baxter's top 10 list of cleaning supplies includes water, vinegar, baking soda, Bon Ami scouring powder, borax for disinfecting, lemon juice mixed with vegetable oil to clean and polish wood, laundry disks and fragrance-free biodegradable brands of dish soap. For more details, check out Clean and Green: The Complete Guide to Non-toxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping by Annie Berthold-Bond (Ceres Press, 1994).

If you use cleaning professionals to do the job, ask that they do it your way. Some companies, like New Age Cleaning at 303-861-2557 or Green Team House Cleaning in Wheatridge at 303-232-2359, specialize in safe, non-toxic cleaning. Or look in your local yellow pages under "housecleaning services."

A house of spirit

Once you've tackled the surface, go a little deeper, with techniques to enrich the soul of your home. Bless your house, using whatever feels comfortable and appropriate to you ~ it may be burning sage, saying a family prayer or having a mini-ritual. Ask a leader in your spiritual or religious community to bless your house, or find a professional. Boulder's Jeanne Visvader has done more than 70 house blessings in the metro area over the last 10 years, using a ceremony she tailors to the home and owners. She typically spends 90 minutes or more moving through the house, guiding "spirits" and stagnant energy out open doors and windows, and allowing the house to "hear" the intentions of the family over and over. Far from a new age practice, variations on home blessing span many cultures and ages.

And consider putting an altar in your home. While the term has religious connotations, it can simply mean a designated table or shelf where you create displays of significant objects in your life ~ anything from candles to photographs of family members to rocks collected during a particularly significant and memorable trip. It's an easy way to highlight events, remember priorities and express gratitude.  

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