Select the icons to get remodeling tips for each area of the room.

Kitchen Sink

• Find antique sinks at building salvage yards to save money and create “instant history” and match the period of your kitchen.
• Consider cast iron and stainless steel sinks: both are available used and are highly durable and recyclable.
• Consider your countertop materials, which can impact the kind of sink you install.
• Seal any gaps around plumbing penetrations if your sink is above an unheated space or on an exterior wall.

Kitchen Faucet

• Check your faucet flow rate before considering a new one.
• Refurbish your old faucet with a faucet repair kit to 1.5 gallons per minute.
• For new faucets, look for the WaterSense label to ensure efficiency and performance.
• Choose faucets that come with a lifetime warranty.

Cabinetry

• Consider refacing or refurbishing existing cabinets before purchasing new ones.
• Rethink your layout. Consider adding shelves within the cabinets or converting cabinets to drawers.
• Shop for salvaged cabinetry at many of the local building salvage and supply stores.
• Give preference to solid wood or plywood cabinet boxes rather than particleboard or conventional medium density fiberboard (MDF) that typically contains urea formaldehyde.

Dishwasher

• Choose ENERGY STAR appliances for your kitchen – these save water and electricity.
• Dishwashers use 1/5 the water of washing dishes by hand.
• Use energy and water saving cycle/setting whenever possible.
• Recycle your old appliances.

Range/Oven

• Choose ENERGY STAR appliances for your kitchen – these save water and electricity.
• Consider a highly efficient induction stove top.
• Look for gas ranges and ovens with electric ignition.
• Use the range fan whenever cooking with a gas range.
• Recycle your old appliances.

Countertops

• Evaluate whether you can simply repair or refinish your old countertop, instead of replacing.
• Look for salvaged countertops or repurposed butcher blocks.
• For new countertops, prioritize durable, easy to clean materials with natural or high recycled content that do not contain toxic or petroleum-based substances.

Kitchen Flooring

• Always use hard surface, water-resistant flooring such as protected wood, tile, or natural linoleum in areas prone to wetness, especially kitchens.
• Choose flooring products that can easily be maintained.
• Choose flooring options that allow for partial replacement instead of whole-room replacement.
• Seek alternatives to vinyl.

Kitchen Lighting

• Replace all incandescent light bulbs with LEDs or CFLs.
• Install ENERGY STAR-labeled light fixtures.
• Follow the advice for “right lights, right place” to direct task lighting as close as possible to the places you work most in your kitchen.
• Choose a variety of fixture types and controls to optimize your light quality and also reduce the “all or nothing” of some kitchen lighting schemes.

Refrigerator

• Choose ENERGY STAR appliances for your kitchen – these save water and electricity.
• Use your appliances according to the product manual to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Size matters – choose your fridge according to your needs so you do not waste energy.
• Recycle your old appliances.

Recycling and Composting Center

• Know which materials are curbside recyclable and compostable in your city or area and design your recycling/composting centers with this in mind.
• Check your waste hauler’s website for information on what is collected.
• Make recycling convenient by creating a recycle center in your kitchen, and by placing recycling bins in other areas of the home where recyclable materials are generated such as the home office.
• Keep a food scrap collection container in your kitchen, line with compostable bags, and empty regularly into yard waste cart.