EDITOR'SNOTE

Living Green

We humans have always needed green—no, I’m not talking about the stuff that buys everything from the roof over our heads to wonderfully impractical shoes for our feet. We know we need that kind of green. But we’ve come to realize we also need a green consciousness to guide the products we buy, the energy we consume, and the lifestyle we choose. And, after a long winter of dull and dirty gray, we’re all in desperate need of another kind of green as well: the fresh shades of springtime that enliven our spaces, inside and out.

There’s more than enough green to go around in this issue. First up: “green” products in their latest shade … blue. For “Air & Water” (page 10), we gathered lovely wares made of recycled and recyclable materials for your eco-tabletop. Try the look with the recipes featured in “First Tastes of Spring” (page 26). Now that the local markets are flush with asparagus, fava beans, and—that ardently pursued queen of woodland flavors—morel mushrooms, create a casual dinner to enjoy alfresco.

Need inspiration to create an outdoor space for your home? Visit a “Rainforest Retreat” (page 32) that would be right at home in Oaxaca or Guanajuato. Tropical ambiance prevails at this North Side hacienda, with an informal galley-style kitchen that opens to a plant-filled atrium. To see more great spots for summer siestas, tour the dressed-up decks at Mary Claire and Kenneth Moll’s Lincoln Park home in “3 Rooms Up” (page 54). Designer Aldo Burcheri of Christy Webber Landscapes in Chicago created new spaces for the family that bring the inside out. The back deck, which once featured views of the alley and electrical wires, is now an outdoor dining room defined by wooden screens and an overhead pergola. A second deck, transformed into a green rooftop, serves as a mini backyard for the children. A third became a sleekly contemporary adult space that features a spectacular view of the skyline.

And how better to live green than to build a home that is self-conscious about its carbon imprint? Bill and Eleanor Revelle, both committed to a sustainable way of life, decided to walk their talk when they built their lakeside contemporary in Evanston. See “Graciously Green” (page 40) to learn how they did it.

Going green doesn’t have to mean going without. But it does mean making choices that keep the well-being of the planet in mind.

Chris Lee, Editor
clee@midwesthomechicago.com