We are grateful for our home. A simple three bedroom house with a nice attic for the kids to play in on cold rainy days. Many memories have been made here and keeping it functional for our growing family was starting to become a slight challenge. Challenge number one: tiny kitchen. Challenge number two: wall to wall carpet. Carpet can feel cozy for some, but after years of potty training, occasional dog sitting and trying to keep food in the tiny kitchen, we were DONE with carpet.

One night after sharing dinner at a friend’s home we asked about their beautiful wood floors. The dream in our heads of actually having wood floors was still just a pipe dream. Our friend shared that the wood floors had already been in the home when she purchased it, UNDER the carpet. What! We looked at each other in disbelief. We had never even looked! After 10 years of wishing and dreaming we went home and pulled back our carpet to do a party dance in the living room. We had beautiful oak floors just waiting to be refinished under our toes.

As it always seems to happen with our projects, our little idea of a simple floor change manifested into a full remodeling overhaul. Once the floors were done, they were so beautiful that we found ourselves making decisions on removing walls, re-painting and expanding the tiny kitchen into a beautiful and functional space. Our simple floor refinishing turned into a brand new look that extended into both a kitchen and living room renovation.

Home renovations of any kind can take a lot of time, energy and money so we knew whatever changes we made, we wanted to invest not only in function and beauty, but in our health. We spent many hours researching the best non-toxic products to use in our home, so we thought we would share our favorites. If you're considering a remodel of any kind, here are some of the best ways to make the new room as healthy as possible.

Countertops 

We knew we wanted the kitchen to have a natural aesthetic, so we went with handmade butcher block counters. When it was time to refinish our kitchen countertops, we chose a natural stain to ensure that they were completely food safe. The finish that met all our needs was Pure Tung Oil. We picked the Real Milk Paint brand for sealing and staining because their products contain no additives or petroleum distillates. In fact, this brand has the highest grade of Tung Oil that we could find. 

Paint

Once our countertops were squared away, we had to decide on the type of paint we wanted on our walls. It was important to us that the paint we selected was free of any volatile organic compounds (VOCs). As the name suggests, VOC paints have known carcinogens and contain chemicals, such as benzene, methylene chloride, and others, that are linked to cancer [source: The United States Environmental Protection Agency]. We picked Natura® Paint by Benjamin Moore. Their paint selection is not only free of VOCs, but they are certified asthma & allergy-friendly.

Wood Floors & Accents

We repurposed our floors for a variety of reasons. Not only do we like the look and feel of wood floors, but they also harbor little to no toxins, unlike carpet. Older carpets, in particular, can contain toxins like endocrine-disruptors, phthalates, and VOCs, which can contribute to a variety of health issues.

To give our floors a natural wood finish, we selected Rubio Monocoat. The company has an excellent reputation, and their natural floor finish is free of toxic VOCs. They have more than 30 colors to choose from, and it only requires a single-coat application for durable protection. Plus, it's easy to use for small touchups. The company does not sell direct, so you must purchase through a supplier. We had an enjoyable experience with Eco-Building Products. They were accommodating and spent so much time with us finding the right stain color for our floors. There are many other suppliers out there, but our experience with them was superb. 

We decided to accent our floors and bring warmth with VOC-free area rugs that are not treated with flame retardants or chemicals. We found that 100% wool, cotton or jute rugs are the most sustainable and natural option. 

Water Filtration System

There are a couple of reasons why we use a water filtration system. One, we didn't want to be a family dependent on bottled water. Two, we wanted to be able to control the filtration process. One water filtration system that we love is the Berkey Water Filter. The powerful Berkey purification elements remove or reduce viruses, pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, harmful or unwanted chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, VOCs, detergents, organic solvents, trihalomethanes, cloudiness, silt, sediment, heavy metals, foul tastes, and odors, yet they leave in the healthful and beneficial minerals that your body needs. 

Air Purifier

We've used an air purifier in our home for years to reduce toxins and remove particles from the air. Two brands we like are Vollara and Air Doctor Pro. However, our go-to way of getting cleaner air in our home is simple; we open up the windows. You would be surprised at what a difference fresh outdoor air can make in your home's overall air quality. 

There you have it, folks. The renovation was a bit more than we thought, but the results were terrific. We are very excited about the new changes in our home and even more that they helped reduce the toxic load in our kitchen and living room. We hope our experience and tips will help you make eco-conscious product choices if you are ever in the midst of your own home renovation. 

Our Renovation Photos