Energy Green Conscious Design is Affordable

Energy Green 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.

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.