With its 11-foot tray ceilings, granite countertops and open-concept living area, the house at 121 Cove Pointe Drive looks like any other stylish new construction on the Parade of Homes, presented by the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans.

But developer Randy Noel says the Luling house is unlike its peers, thanks to building and interior design practices that support, among other things, healthy air and visitors can tell the minute they step inside.

You feel the difference largely because of the whole-house dehumidifier. Things dont feel icky and sticky, said Noel, who is also chairman of the HBA. Its all about good, filtered air, not stale air, so it doesnt carry germs and bacteria.

Over the last decade, Noel has noticed more and more clients discussing indoor air quality. Often, their children had asthma or other lung diseases. They were concerned about contaminants ranging from volatile organic compounds in paint and formaldehyde in laminate kitchen countertops to bacteria and mildew in bathrooms.

Natural light floods into the living area through plentiful windows and glass doors.

When Noel learned about an organization called Wellness Within Your Walls (WWYW), he decided to partner with founder Jillian Pritchard Cooke to build a home to both WWYW and National Green Building standards.

I wanted to see how much trouble it was and how much it cost, Noel said.

WWYW educates homebuyers, designers and builders about best practices when it comes to healthy indoor living. To get its WWYW certification, a homes filtration system, air flow, natural light and electromagnetic field exposure (to name a few on the 10-point checklist) must meet certain standards. WWYW also educates homebuyers about furnishings, accessories, paints and products to avoid.

There are 88,000 chemicals in the U.S. that have had no meaningful testing, and they are on the market, Cooke said. These are commonly found in home furnishings and the global water supply. All of them can contribute to asthma, hormone disruption, birth defects, cancer, liver disease, kidney diseases and developmental disorders.

Noel and Cooke collaborated on the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Lulings Ashton Plantation development. Priced in the mid-300s, it was designed to be more affordable than new homes with similar certifications. Noels 2,150-square-foot floor plan flanked the open area with bedrooms an office and master suite with a VOC-sensing closet on one side and two bedrooms on the other.

The home was staged by local interior designer Grace Kaynor, who is a WWYW 'ambassador.' 'With new pieces, I follow the WWYW guidelines: not too much acrylic, not too much plastic and metals, not too many synthetics, things made with natural wood and fibers.' In the guest bedroom, vintage nightstands and sculptural Palacek lamps made from hand-cut coconut shell frame the bed.

Cooke made a few amendments to the floor plan. She detached the garage to prevent fumes and car-generated carbon monoxide from entering the house. She added more windows and translucent interior doors to let mood-boosting sunlight inside. She also included an EMF-proof device charging cabinet and a reverse osmosis system.

This area has 26 contaminants in the water thats not unusual, Cooke said. A purification system can remove those toxins from the water supply, which is going to be a better outcome.

For the decor, Cook brought in New Orleans designer Grace Kaynor, the owner of decor shop Sotre and is a brand ambassador for WWYW. Kaynor used a mix of new, vintage and rented pieces to furnish the space. She avoided using any piece that had a new furniture smell, which indicates chemical off-gassing.

When you buy a piece of furniture and it has that funny smell like fresh paint or lacquer, that means there is some toxin present in the piece, whether its formaldehyde or something else, Kaynor said.

With new pieces, I follow the WWYW guidelines: not too much acrylic, not too much plastic and metals, not too many synthetics, things made with natural wood and fibers.

Blue, gray and green hues and natural textures (jute rugs, alpaca throws, organic cotton towels) enliven the homes neutral palette. The nursery features vibrant hues, organic bedding and an organic Naturepedic mattress. In the guest bedroom, vintage nightstands and sculptural Palacek lamps made from hand-cut coconut shell frame the bed. (Repurposing to reduce consumption is also a WWYW tenet.)

An indoor herb garden has a built-in watering hose.

Energetically, you get a really good feel from this house, but its almost something you cant identify, Kaynor said. Sometimes you go in a house not made from natural materials where people arent paying attention to air quality, and your nose may be stuffy or your eyes might burn.

Cook said it cost an extra $10,000 to build the house at 121 Cove Pointe to WWYW standards, and it has already been sold. From here, the onus is on the homeowners to maintain healthy indoor quality. They can do that by carefully considering the environmental and health impact of items they bring inside their homes, whether these are detergents, scented candles or a new couch.

Environmental awareness is not just about the ingredients (a product) is made from. Its also about the cost of transportation, carbon footprint, sustainable production every aspect of making a product, Kaynor said. Protecting the environment is not a nebulous concept. Caring about the environment is essentially caring about other people.

The Parade of Homes presented by the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans takes place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. July 18-19. More information is available at https://www.hbagno.org/paradeofhomes

After the stay-at-home order went into effect, Randi Giraud-Jones found herself and her family dirtying more dishes than she ever thought possible.

Hurricane season is here, and now is the time to start preparing. This season is forecast to be busier than average, saidLaura A. Mellem, pub

When Franchesca and Jeff Lorio updated their Uptown backyard in February 2019 a process that started with a fence repair and snowballed to i

See original here:
This Luling house is built with features to support healthy living. Get a look inside it in Parade of Homes - NOLA.com