If you’ve ever wanted to vacate your house for a few days due to fumes from a new paint job, take heart. If you’ve ever wished your Houston tap water were healthy, you’re in luck. If you’re tired of the same old choices in countertops for your kitchen, your time has come to join the growing number of enlightened consumers who are discovering New Living.
Yes, that Wagner Hardware store in the Village that generations of Houstonians relied on for old-school solutions to homeowner headaches is now the resource for healthy solutions to some of the same headaches. Meaning you can still buy paint, but this paint won’t drive you from home with toxic fumes. Say goodbye to the days of being considered a weenie if you complained about chemical smells. Say hello to the world of non-toxic cleaning products and mattresses, sustainable cabinets and flooring, even organic baby products.
With a passion for Houston’s ability to innovate and inspired by those hip dwelling magazines, Jeff Kaplan and his partners thought it might be smart to give Wagner Hardware new life as a healthy alternative. At its one-year anniversary, it’s looking smarter than ever. Don’t expect to find nuts and bolts. Do expect to find a water filtration system that renders Houston tap water healthy and even good-tasting (which is no mean feat when you see all the stuff it has to extract), an exciting array of counter tops you’ve probably never seen before (including one manufactured right here in Houston from recycled Ship Channel glass), a demonstration of how much electricity an eco light bulb saves over a regular one (as shown by an electricity meter just like the one you have on the side of your house) and other outside-the-box options for a healthy and sustainable home.
If there were LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications for stores like
there are for buildings, New Living would have it. What it does have is B Corporation certification.
Loosely referred to as the corporate equivalent of LEED certification, it’s the commitment
to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Lofty ideals for a
retail store? It’s an indication that the folks at New Living see their endeavor as much more than
that. And they’re not alone. It’s one of a growing number (in hip cities like New York and LA) of
collaborative spaces where green architects, designers and even the occasional counter-top
manufacturer are co-habitating for the good of all. You can read a New York Times article about
that at www.newliving.net under “about us” while you’re seeking more enlightenment about New
Living. 6111 Kirby Drive (713) 521-1921
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