Country Living 2010 House of the Year

Home Green Home is the name of Country Living's 2010 House of the Year. For almost a quarter century now, Country Living has built, and decorated, an entire house from the ground up every year. So this year they created an environmentally friendly, modular home. This 1,607 square feet prefab cottage was erected at the World Financial Center in downtown Manhattan. Interior designer Katie Ridder decorated its rooms with eco-smart furnishings and accessories.

An overall eclectic-cottage style with quite a number of interesting eco-friendly ideas.

It reminds me a bit of the house in the Disney-Pixar film Up.


In the entryway: cabinets for storing coats, a table for holding mail and a bench for pulling shoes on and off. Chicken wire adds pattern and texture to the cabinet doors.

Wallpaper: This pattern relies on paint that's free of potentially harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds). It was also used for the ceilings in the dining and sitting areas.

Floors: Rescued from abandoned buildings and used throughout our house, Mohawk's elm planks come with an aged patina.

Table: built from sustainable poplar and water-based, low-VOC finish.

Light fixture: The small holes in this recycled-aluminum globe cast a soft glow.


The living and dining spaces open up to each other, so they were unified with blue upholstery, worn wood surfaces, and walls painted in Moroccan Spice — from Benjamin Moore's zero-VOC paint line, Natura.

Sofa and armchair: organic-cotton upholstery for the couch and recycled-fiber fabric for the chair. Both pieces feature sustainable wood frames and recycled metal components.

Mirror: A halo of reclaimed-wood spokes surrounds this looking glass.

A projector stand was used as a plant stand, a white garden stool as a side table.


Dining chairs: Constructed from sustainable hardwood and soy-based cushions, these seats are upholstered with recycled-fiber fabric. The hydrangea motif was stenciled.

Dining table: Weathered wood, salvaged from antique elm doors.

Rugs: Natural vegetable dyes create these soft, muted hues.


Classic country details in the kitchen: an apron-front sink, beadboard cabinets, and a barn-wood island. The roman shade is actually a repurposed tablecloth.

Cabinets: custom cupboards from sustainable plywood and a soy-based adhesive.

Sink: a foot pedal by is an ingenious add-on that decreases water waste with a more controlled flow.

Island: A row of vintage stools complements this workstation, custom crafted from reclaimed wood.

The mudroom is located just off the kitchen. It offers storage and a sink suitable for gardening chores. The countertops are made from fast-growing — and thus extremely renewable — bamboo.

One old book, Art Forms in Nature, was recycled into a hallway's worth of prints.

In the master bedroom the horizontal beadboard makes the room appear wider. A four-poster frame, made of sustainably grown Mindi wood, supports a 100 percent organic cotton-and-hemp mattress.

Walk-in closet.

Master bathroom: a double-basin sink and separate commode room make this space ideal for two people. The mirror frames are fashioned from old bourbon barrels. A salvaged dresser was transformed into a double vanity.


The master bathroom and bedroom are connected with two different shades of blue. Organic cotton towels are stacked in open storage bins built from reclaimed wood

In the guest room a recycled-iron frame holds a soy-based foam mattress.


A reupholstered old chair in the guest room sitting area. The wall-to-wall carpet is woven from shredded plastic bottles.

Home office nook.

Downstairs Powder Room with vintage wallpaper and pedestal sink.

The wraparound porch was outfitted with wicker seating and table made from recycled aluminum frames and reclaimed cypress. The plank-top table is also made with salvaged cypress.

Enclosed Porch. A birdcage is used as a terrarium on a vintage teak unit with plenty of storage space.

Photography: Lucas AllenIf you'd like to see how this modular house went from factory to finished in 30 days go here.
All images from Country Living.