While we are having a love affair with anything in the green color category, today we are talking environmentally-friendly design. We interviewed Beth Haley, owner of Beth Haley Designs (BHD), a Nashville design firm known for green design and specifically “focused on remodeling and revitalizing established homes, as well as creating stimulating, functional spaces in new homes.” We asked her to share both some before and after’s to inspire us, as well as some lighting and tile choices for those of us looking to tackle smaller projects!
Thank you to Beth and her her team for providing us with the following inspirations!
Beth Haley, owner Beth Haley Designs
Brentwood home (circa 1990) Master Bath Remodel:
Using existing space and reusing the cabinet bases, Beth Haley Design (BHD) kept costs and waste down in this master bath renovation. The floor tile was produced in Tennessee and contains recycled content. The quartz countertops are GREENGUARD certified, and low-VOC paint was used. By lifting the eye up with tall cabinets and window treatments, the dark, traditional space was transformed into a light, airy, fresh oasis.
Before:
After:
Edgefield (circa 1880) Kitchen Remodel:
All that was kept of this kitchen was the original footprint. Clever placement of large windows and an exterior door visually expanded the kitchen to include a view of the homeowners’ well-maintained gardens. The BHD reconfiguration created five specific work zones, and every cubic foot was utilized to maximum potential.
Before:
“All new insulation started the project off right. The kitchen’s original cabinetry was donated to Habitat for Humanity, and we used renewable cork flooring. The sink is operated by foot pedals, which makes for more efficient use. The quartz countertops are GREENGUARD-certified, and the bar area’s Carrera marble countertop was fashioned from a remnant. Adding the wall of windows created tons of natural light and cut down on the room’s lighting needs. The cabinets were made from formaldehyde-free wood, and the island was locally made by a Nashville craftsman. All paint was no- or low-VOC.”
After:
West Meade (circa 1960) Ranch Kitchen Remodel:
The homeowners of this 1960′s ranch needed a remodel that made for a more connected, functional and modern home. BHD opened up spaces, added accents of color and wallpaper, updated existing materials, lighting, cabinetry and flooring, and managed the project with sustainability in mind.
Before:
In the kitchen, they opened the sink wall, visually connecting the kitchen to adjoining spaces and outdoor windows, and they rearranged the direction of island for better flow. The biggest WOW, though, was the change in materials and finishes! Much lighter and brighter!
The materials used in this project included a chute for recycling located in the backsplash (which connects to a trash can in the garage), concrete and quartz countertops, glass tile backsplash, reused cook top and hood, refinished hardwoods with water-based sealer, custom no-formaldehyde cabinets, and low-VOC paint.
After:
BHD’s top picks for LIGHTING, all with a nod to green:
Arteriors Macayle Iron/Glass Chandelier.
BHD: "This fixture is in our showroom and we love it!"
Metro LED fixtures by Tech Lighting
BHD: "We specify these fixtures regularly—they’re beautiful and energy-efficient! Here they are shown in a bathroom remodel we recently completed. They can be installed vertically or horizontally."
Blossom Pendant, by 3Form
Contains 40% pre-consumer recycled content and uses CFL bulbs
Muriel Chandelier, by Oly Studio
Tilda Wood/Iron Chandelier, by Arteriors
Parametre Drum, by 3Form
BHD’s top picks for TILES:
The Debris Series line includes several patterns with up to 112 colors, and the company just released six new field pattern tiles (shown below) that can be made to order in under four weeks. These tiles are made with 62% recycled-content material: pre-consumer granite dust, post-consumer bag-house glass dust, and post-consumer spent abrasives. The rest of the tile is made with Northern California clay. The zero-VOC tile is made in a factory in California where waste water and materials are reclaimed and used to make the tile.
Fireclay Tile, The Debris Series
Glazed Thin Brick, also by Fireclay Tile, was recently announced as “the most sustainable glazed brick ever produced” for interior and exterior applications. The brick is available in nine colors and made in the USA. Glazed Thin Brick has anywhere from 30-90% post-consumer recycled content and a lead- and VOC-free glaze.
The brick face is lighter than traditional glazed brick, resulting in about 85% cost and emissions reductions associated with transportation, according to Fireclay Tile.
Fireclay Tile, Glazed Thin Brick
Oceanside Glasstile: This beautiful glass tile is available in many different sizes and the amount of recycled content depends on the color. It can be found locally at Traditions in Tile,
www.traditionsintile.com
Stonepeak Tile: Regionally produced and made with recycled content, Stonepeak tile is a mainstay of many BHD bathroom renovations. Here, it is used as the field tile on the floor and shower walls in a recent master bath renovation (along with some glass accent tile from another company). Stonepeak Ceramics is located in Crossville, Tennessee, and their commitment to the environment is strong.
www.stonepeakceramics.com
BHD: "We feel good supporting a Tennessee company and having the tile shipped from a nearby location, which saves on greenhouse gas emissions! Stonepeak is available at Traditions in Tile here in Nashville."
A big thanks to Beth Haley for being patient with us! We’ve been working on this post for a while and initially planned to feature it for Earth Day, but our packed calendar didn’t allow us to publish until today. I hope all of our readers can see why this was well worth the wait. Nashville is blessed with great creative energy in interior design and BHD is a large part of that! For more information, please see the BHD website: http://www.bethhaleydesign.com/
To see SB Memphis’s post on “A Well-Styled Sofa,” click here.
To see SB Louisville’s post on “The AGA Range,” click here.
To see SB Atlanta’s post on a “Spring Soiree,” click here.
What fun! I sold the ranch house with the mural. Great to see how they updated it! Fantastic!
Beautiful post with lots of inspiring ideas.
Beth is as easy to be with as her design are to look at. They both make you feel right at home.
Wow…such beautiful, thoughtful transformations.
I am enthralled with her designs….and the chandeliers are stunning. I found just what I’ve been looking for all of these months. Wow. Just the best…
Beth did my remodel (the house with the mural!) and she and her team are an absolute delight to work with. Her design sensibilities are spot-on, and when she tells you to trust her on something creative – do it (see my inspired turquoise peninsula separating the 2 rooms where the mural wall used to be!). Next week we complete the living room, dining room and foyer and we entrusted it to Beth almost entirely, based on our previous experiences with her. I can’t wait for my big “reveal” and to see how it comes together!
I LOOOVE Beth Haley Designs. She designed my bath renovation and I can’t say enough GREAT things about her work!
Beth is great- and these transformations are fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Beth is one of Nashville’s design treasures . . . and an enormous inpiration to everyone seeking “green.”