The second floor guest bathroom builds its eco-cred from the floor up. Walnut veneer planking covers a dense inner layer of recycled wood fibers. This product uses up to two-thirds less harvested wood than alternative wood flooring options and comes from managed forests. The all-wood, furniture-quality vanity presents ample storage for toiletries. It is topped with an eco-friendly quartz countertop that is heat-resistant, stain-resistant and anti-microbial.
Organic soaps and linens, and beautifully textured baskets, add spice to the vanity. Instead of using cut flowers, which are typically grown with pesticides and shipped long distances, interior designer Linda Woodrum accessorized with a potted plant.
Woodrum chose the whimsical dog paintings as the first decorative items for the room. Their brown, orange and gold color scheme became the inspiration for most of the second-floor rooms, including the sitting room, guest bedroom and guest bathroom.
"These colors are very 'fall,'" says Woodrum. She carried the dark brown and taupe from the first floor and added orange and yellow to give the second floor its distinctive, autumnal look.
The light fixture, like all the fixtures in the Green Home, is Energy Star rated. To complement it, Woodrum added a simple mirror similar to those used in the other bathrooms.
The mosaic glass tile stripes give the shower unique flair. "Because this door is always open," Woodrum says, "I had to do something bold." An aerator on the shower reduces water flow without compromising water pressure.
The house is designed to minimize the length of the hot water lines, reducing energy wasted waiting on hot water at the shower or faucet. Tankless water heaters service the house and save energy by only heating water when needed.
Like the other bathrooms, this one features a low-flow toilet, which uses water recycled from roof runoff.
A ventilation system controls moisture, reducing bathroom humidity. This is supported by bathroom exhaust fans that are tied to occupancy sensors, so they only run when needed to quietly remove unwanted moisture and odors.
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