Name: Paul Gleicher and Lisa Sharkey, Gleicher Design Group
Location: Manhattan, New York
Size: 5,500 sq/ft
Years lived in: 3 1/2, owned
Paul and Lisa’s elegant Manhattan home is proof that going green doesn’t have to come at the expense of style. (It also proves that if you’re going to gut renovate a dilapidated 1885 Manhattan townhouse in a single year, it comes in handy when the owner is also the architect.)
In his 20 years designing stylish Manhattan homes, LEED-accredited Architect Paul Gleicher started to hear more and more about green building. But it wasn’t until he and Lisa purchased the Upper West Side brownstone that green building became a focus, and then a passion. The couple spent over a year researching the materials, sometimes scouring the internet until 2 a.m. Nearly every element—from the Brooklyn-based IceStone counters, made from recycled glass and concrete, to the lyptus hardwood flooring, and the lush fabrics of organic cottons and recycled polyesters—has a green heritage. Some, like the modular carpets in the kids’ rooms, a mosaic of one-foot squares that stick to the floor and can be swapped out for spills, would be a practical addition to any home. Others, like the energy-conserving panes of the glass rooftop conservatory, are unique to this one.
Of course, not everyone is going to have a green roof or geometric atrium peeking up between the skyscrapers (if only!). So the Gleichers turned their year of research into a book: Dreaming Green: Eco-Fabulous Homes Designed to Inspire, a photo tour through 17 stunning green homes around the country. And when the photos inspire grand green ambitions, the book helpfully provides an extensive list of design resources, a guide to making the small choices that add up to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Re-Nest Survey:
My/Our Style: Simple, soothing, classic, clean lines with colors that reflect what's outside the window, which is the signature of Gleicher Design Group.
Inspiration: The green house that was done in Los Angeles by Jim and Nancy Chuda.
Favorite Element: IceStone, which is the material used in our countertops, fireplace surround, roof stone pavers and bathroom floor. Their factory is in The Brooklyn Navy Yards – it's awesome.
Biggest Challenge: Time and resources and finances.
What Friends Say: How did you get this entire gut renovation done in one year? When the client is also the architect, it helps. Also, we can't believe this stuff is green, it looks so normal.
Biggest Embarrassment: The backyard, which is not nearly ready for prime time. Ouch!
Proudest DIY: Filling my front window box with wheatgrass.
Biggest Indulgence: The green roof and glass skyroom.
Best Advice: Less is more, keep it simple, and get your closets done so you do not need dressers in the bedrooms, which gives you a lot more space.
Dream Source: The International Contemporary Furniture Fair and the Go Green Expo at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show.
Resources:
Overall: Our book, Dreaming Green, has one of the most comprehensive resource sections available.
Appliances: Bosch
Furniture: Environment Furniture
Accessories: Freshly cut flowers from our yard and great books.
Lighting: The ylighting website carries lots of eco designs.
Rugs and Carpets: Anything that carries the GoodWeave certification label, which assures you that no child labor was used. Also FLOR carpet tiles, which need no rug pads, stick to the floor, are inexpensive... and when you are through with them the company will pick them up for recycling.
Artwork: Paintings by Josh Gosfield, Stephen Geldman and Howard Lazar
Paint: The Harmony No-VOC line by Sherwin Williams
Flooring: Lyptus
Interested in sharing your home with Re-Nest? Contact our editors through our Green Tour Submission Form.
(Images: Liz Vidyarthi)
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i know people who associate going green with styling with dingy uncouth homes...have to show them this post!!
Yes, I'll take it.
Just love this. Beautiful finishes coupled with eco-friendly = total win. More pictures, please!
Gorgeous photos!
A technicality, but architects themselves aren't LEED certified. Only buildings can be LEED certified. Architects can be LEED accredited.
You're right, Daily Nuance. Thanks for catching that! We've changed it.
It's beautiful, but in what sense is a 5500 ft complete gut job environmentally friendly?
Just because the materials are recycled doesn't make them energy neutral. The materials ripped out probably took up several dumpsters!
I guess Green is the new Vegan when it comes to "passionate" response.
Given the commitment to Green these homeowners seem to have, I am guessing even the demo had a greenish tint to it.
But of course, doing NOTHING is not greener than redoing something responsibly. UNLESS the existing structure is leaking heat, with old appliances that drain the grid...
That bright bedding is very charming. Would you mind sharing a source?
This is Lisa the homeowner. Sorry for the person who is complaining about the space. It was a gut renovation, so we did not increase our footprint. It was a tenement in horrible condition with nothing to redeem about it, and we decided to turn it into a beautiful green home.
As far as the bedding goes, it is 100 per cent Organic from Pottery Barn. I bought it for myself on sale as a Valentine's Day gift. I also really like bamboo and beech sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond which are eco-friendly and very comfy!
The pillows are hand made by my sister Pamelah who lives in the British Virgin Islands from recycled fabrics.
Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your space! It's so lovely and inspiring.
The living room paneling around your fireplace and mantle is spectacular. Did you happen to hide any sort of storage behind it?
Where did you get the great coffee tables!!!
All your hard work paid off - beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!
Le sigh.
Hi it's Lisa again to answer some of your questions.The coffee tables in the glass room next to the green roof are bamboo and glass and are by Lazy-Boy's Todd Oldham collection. He is a vegan and very eco-conscious and we love supporting people who have such a lovely take on the universe. The coffee table in the living room is by Environment Furniture, and is made from recycled wood.
As far as storage behind the wood veneer wall in the living room, sorry, there is no storage there. With a brownstone that is only 18 feet wide, the interior width is only 17 feet so there is no room for hidden storage, but it would be nice.
If you want to see more photos of the house you can check out www.dreaminggreenbook.com which is the companion site to our book Dreaming Green: Eco-Fabulous Homes Designed to Inspire. The book contains hundreds of green resources from all of the homes we chose to feature across America.
Your home looks so welcoming and beautiful. I'd love to know the artist(s) of the two tree paintings and where you purchased the yellow rug with the creme/white lines w/dots at the end. Thank you for sharing your home.
Hi Lisa, I love the living room paint color. Can you tell me what it is? I have been trying different shades and just cannot get it right. Thank you. Love the home.