EnergyGreen-conscious design is affordable

Do you want an environmentally friendly home but think you can't afford one? Think again -- maybe you can, says Jim Lingenfelter of Five2Five Design Studio LLC in Indianapolis.
All green-conscious home design requires is a spirit of thrift and a willingness to sift through junkyards, consignment boutiques and discount stores with a creative eye.
"You don't have to tear that house down and start from scratch," Lingenfelter said.
Be a savvy scavenger
Rather than buy new furnishings, salvage something that otherwise might be scrapped.
"You can find some really great classics in secondhand area locations," said Kate Salzman of CSO Architects.
Nikki Sutton of Axis Architecture spent hours combing trash bins, back alleys, garage sales, thrift stores and antique stores for inexpensive -- or free -- finds.
"I had to borrow my parents' truck for two weeks, and I took a different way home every day," she said.
A child's bedroom illustrates just how effective such a strategy can be.
A former entertainment center turned dresser/table procured for $4 and a petite filing cabinet purchased for $3 came from garage sales. A yellow chair had been abandoned in an alley.
"It just needed some Windex and some scrubbing," Sutton said.
Don't limit yourself to local finds. Kipp Normand, real-estate development manager for the not-for-profit Southeast Neighborhood Development Corp., discovered a narrow bed in a dilapidated house in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
"He just spray-painted it and called it a day. It's awesome," said Sutton, who topped the piece with bed linens from Target.
The bottom line for the room? $110, maybe.
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