Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home

Low-impact living is about making thoughtful, eco-friendly choices in your home. But being sustainable doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style. That’s where Remodelista comes in. In this comprehensive guide, they decode the secrets to creating a home that’s good for the planet – and totally liveable.

First, the team invites readers on in-depth tours of the living quarters of a dozen homeowners who have interpreted this ethos in myriad ways: an Australian architect’s state-of-the-art family home, a rental apartment in Brooklyn outfitted with materials salvaged from the neighbourhood, and even a farmhouse in England made of hemp.

Then they take us room by room to dissect the most impactful swaps we can make for a healthier home, from a gentler laundry routine courtesy of the Celsious sisters to chef David Tanis’s low-tech approach to cooking. There are simply DIY projects to encourage you to reuse and repurpose rather than buy new, plus the 'Vintage 75' – a roundup of everyday household goods that are easy to find used, and are typically better made and more affordable than their brand-new counterparts. And, of course, there’s remodelling advice for all budgets and scopes: whether you’re looking to choose healthy paint, swap out your rug, upgrade your windows, or overhaul your whole place. It all adds up to an eco-conscious approach that’s about living not only responsibly but also with joy and style.

About the Authors

Margot Guralnick is the coauthor of Remodelista: The Organized Home, writer/producer of Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home, and a longstanding member of the Remodelista team. Though based in the Bronx, she grew up outside of Boston, and practices New England thriftiness as a way of life. She has been a vintage collector since childhood, and makes botanical art from fallen leaves.

Fan Winston is a long-time magazine editor and founding editor of the Organized Home, a companion website to Remodelista. She is thrilled to co-write a book with her fellow Remodelista team member that champions the same principles - a respect for nature, a distaste for wastefulness - her Chinese immigrant parents have instilled in her since childhood. In addition to working on this project, as a library board trustee in her town of Maplewood, New Jersey, she's helping shepherd the construction of an all-electric, LEED-certified public library.