Top 10 (Green) Ways to Brighten Your Home This Spring


1. Shop locally: area lumber houses, mom-and-pop hardware stores, local cabinet and furniture makers, regional manufacturers, designers, architects, builders, and indie shelter shops.

2. Hire an air quality expert to assess your home’s breathing. Healthy Space, Glenside, 215-233-1852; healthyspaces.com

3. Gather up the freshest PA- and Jersey-raised fare from your favorite farmer’s market. Visit buylocalpa.org and state.nj.us/jerseyfresh

4. Spruce up a vintage chair with hand-painted upholstery. Lauren Rossi Designs, lardink.com

5. Plant a hearty window box—or hire your favorite garden guru to do the same. Main Line Flowerpot and Windowbox Co., Wayne, 610-254-0220; mainlineflowerpot.com

6. Build a bouquet of locally grown, single-color blooms.

7. Explore architectural salvage warehouses: Some of the coolest finds come from old houses.

8. Invest in a reusable and fashionable tote — or two — for groceries. Gypsystyle.com

9. Look for logos: efficient Energy Star appliances, responsibly-made RugMark rugs, sustainably harvest FSC-certified wood. Shop at stores like Green Depot, Greenable and the Environmental Home Store

10. Leave the lights off (until you need them). Hurrah for daylight savings!