The Healthy Home Workbook: Easy Steps for Eco-Friendly Living [Spiral-bound]

Kimberly Rider (Author), Thayer Allyson Gowdy (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2006

A healthy home is one that's free of toxins and stocked with natural materials that are as good for the body as they are soothing for the spirit. The Healthy Home Workbook leads the way to creating a space that is friendly to the environment, reflects the owner's personal style, and won't break the bank. With the same engaging approach and sophisticated style that makes her a such a popular guest star of HGTV's Curb Appeal, Kimberly Rider clarifies eco-friendly design and makes recycling chic. Dozens of projects, such as identifying and replacing harmful cleaning products, caring for pets without chemicals, and choosing furniture and flooring made with sustainable materials, can be completed in a few hours, a day, or over a weekend. Room-by-room health specifics, from mold in the bathroom to electromagnetic fields in the home office, are addressed in a practical way, while informative reference sections help decode chemical additives in everything from bug spray to shampoo, and highlight earth-friendly materials. Gorgeous interior photography shows how to incorporate these healthful habits without sacrificing style. A concealed spiral binding and tabbed sections complete this elegant, handy reference guide. Inspirational and informative, The Healthy Home Workbook is the blueprint for a clean, fresh, and harmonious home.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kimberly Rider is an interior designer who combines modern style with sustainable materials. Her current projects include homes, retail stores, and model homes. She lives in Marin County, California.

Thayer Allyson Gowdy's photographs can be seen in InStyle Home , and Health , as well as the book Nest for Two (0-8118-4084-0). She lives in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 176 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (February 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811850773
• ISBN-13: 978-0811850773
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,754,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kimberly Rider is the founder of Atmosphera, an interior design firm dedicated to blending sustainable materials and modern style for homeowners, developers, and business owners. Her ability to deliver innovative, healthy home designs with style has earned her a loyal following across the country. Kimberly has appeared as the featured designer on HGTV's Curb Appeal, where she received rave reviews from viewers. Kimberly lives and works in Marin County, California.

accomplishments

Author
Healthy Home Workbook
Chronicle Books
Published 2006
Publicity Launch Spring 2006

Organic Baby:
Simple Steps for Healthy Living
Chronicle Books
Worldwide Release Spring 2007
Publicity Launch Spring 2007

Kimberly writes and speaks about incorporating ecologically-sound designs that will help people find ways to live in a healthier home with great tips and advice that is easy to follow. Organic Baby: Simple Steps for Healthy Living, is a guide to creating a toxin-free home for children, with chapters on the nursery, baby gear, personal care, food and other related topics. Each chapter will educate the reader on particular healthy issues and offer projects and solutions.

Television Experience
HGTV's Curb Appeal
Regular Featured Designer
Kimberly works with homeowners chosen by the producers in outlining a dramatic change in the outside of the home. She is equally adept at architectural issues, color schemes, landscaping plans and unique projects to add d'cor to the exterior of homes. View Kimberly's featured profile and portfolio on www.hgtv.com

HGTV's 100 Summer Ideas
Guest Designer
Guest Designer on one-hour special, designed eco-friendly kids' playground using recycled and non-toxic materials. The family yard included a play structure and creative ideas for the whole family. Aired in May 2006 across five networks including HGTV, DIY, and Fine Living.



Radio Experience
XM-Radio
'HGTV On the Radio with Nancy Glass'

Eco-Talk
www.airamerica.com/ecotalk

Good Dirt Radio
gooddirtradio.org



Consulting
Industry Expert on trends in healthy cleaning and and consumer purchasing
of eco-friendly products



Panelist,
Dial Corporation Product Development Conference



About atmosphera
atmosphera is Kimberly's interior design firm that specializes in innovative and eco-friendly design. Located in Marin County, California, her clientele includes homeowners, real estate professionals, businesses and developers. Kimberly offers her clients alternative design solutions and integrates sustainable materials without sacrificing style.

Latest projects
Kimberly is working on a resource website that will highlight her top picks for eco-friendly baby products.
She is also designing several new products for home and baby.

Learn more at www.kimberlyrider.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN IMPRESSIVE RESOURCE FOR THE HEALTHY HOME!!, April 4, 2006

By 

RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Healthy Home Workbook: Easy Steps for Eco-Friendly Living (Spiral-bound)

Five Healthy Stars!! This may well be one of the most iMPORTANT books you buy this year, because it may significantly upgrade your home and your lifestyle. This is one of the most beautifully conceived and elegantly laid out workbooks I have seen. Lots of inspiring photographs by Thayer Allyson Gowdy. And it covers a multitude of topics on the home; some covered more in depth than others. Plus there are many resources listed beyond the scope of the book. The operative word here is "home", not house. It not only covers hazards, dangers, and other factors and practices that affect our health in our homes and yards, but there are suggestions on cures, safer substitutes, design and layout of areas of the home. There is also genuine concern for the mind and the spirit of the inhabitants. Even Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) is covered and other relevant or near-relevant factors that may have escaped our interests or concerns. Due to the extensiveness of the workbook, some of this may not work for some of us: feng shui, dream journals, and shoes banned in the home? I don't think so!! But so much else DOES work! The general nature of the workbook also invites us to dig deeper on many topics that are only briefly touched on here. So get with it !!

My greatest interest in the workbook is with 'the war' (my words) being fought in and around all homes, garages, gardens and yards. This war has many factors and concerns: germs, pollutants, pests, bad practices, the previously mentioned EMF, and toxins, much of which we bring into the home ourselves, and, after our usual appropriate cleaning, germs may be the least of our concerns. Kimberly Rider deserves a "Silver Star" medal for going through a typical home and analyzing problems and making suggestions in each area. Even practical ways to handle yard pests is worthwhile. My ant problem has been throttled thanks to Ms Rider. The enemy in the unseen war may well be generating toxins that greatly affect our health to the point of possibly setting us up for cancer, breathing disorders, skin diseases, and who knows what else.

There is some curiousness to the layout of the workbook. But that's because there is so much overlap in each area. We meet the term EMF in the bedroom but it's effects are glossed over. A later chapter explains the serious concerns of EMF. One EMF chapter might have done the trick because it's everywhere in the home. But the great thing is that the "workbook" aspect allows us to move these cleanable plasticized pages around for reorganization.

***UPDATE*** I was concerned enough from the EMF chapter to purchase a microwave oven detector meter and an EMF meter. The microwave detector showed safe levels around the oven BUT the EMF meter showed dangerous levels of EMF within two feet of the microwave oven, exactly where food is usually prepared while the oven is operating. Also dangerous levels were emitted from the backside of the microwave where a chair was located. These have been taken into consideration: no food is prepared in front of the microwave when the oven is operating and the chair has been moved to a safe zone. Also, a 'hot' electric clock/radio was moved away from the bed. Our iron and the hair dryer also emit dangerous levels and will be used as little as possible on low settings. The big HDTV and the computer with 20 inch monitor were totally safe. The 'jury is still out' on what these hot levels are doing to us, but why take the chance. Get the meters! Thank you, Kimberly!!!****

I've taken this book and evaluated many aspects of my home and it has definitely altered the way I use cleaning products. My enormous collection of electronic gadgets in the house and especially in the bedroom is now a major concern. Microwave oven cooking has been permanently altered, and certain plastic products used for cooking are now banned. The key word here is "Easy"; there is very little here that takes a lot of effort, just thought and action! (Like always close the basement door!) 179 pages absolutely loaded with ideas and recommendations, a somewhat weak glossary (but that's what Google is for) and three double-columned pages of resources. Thank you, ladies, I truly believe reading this book will have a positive effect on our lives. Five Healthier Stars!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's not easy being green!, December 17, 2006

By 

Jennifer Carden - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Healthy Home Workbook: Easy Steps for Eco-Friendly Living (Spiral-bound)

Kudos to Mrs Rider, this book really helps sort out all the information being tossed our way. "Going green" can be a daunting task she has made it easy. I have become much more aware of the products I bring into my home. I also love the tabs they are great for easy refrence. I keep this book by my bedside and refer to it constantly.

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book!, December 20, 2008

By 

Tnksle5 "mom of 3" (Coventry, RI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Healthy Home Workbook: Easy Steps for Eco-Friendly Living (Spiral-bound)

This is a pretty good book with helping someone who is just learning about becoming green. It has tips and ideas that if you have no clue this will point you in the right direction.