Environmental awareness among consumers has grown dramatically over the past few years, helped along by media coverage of crises around the world and by motion pictures like An Inconvenient Truth.

Once unfamiliar phrases such as “global warming” and “indoor air quality” are increasingly becoming household terms. As consumers try to shrink their carbon footprints, they are seeking out smarter, more environmentally friendly products and practices in their homes, and they are turning more frequently to businesses that demonstrate a similar commitment to “going green.”

Exhibiting environmental responsibility in your showroom doesn’t require a complete overhaul. There are simple steps to get you started that your customers will appreciate. For guidance and inspiration, look to industry leaders who have successfully adapted their own showrooms in response to the green movement.

Tom Kelly, president of Neil Kelly Design/Build Remodeling and chairman of the board for Neil Kelly Cabinets in Portland OR, is one such leader. Neil Kelly Co. has helped to pioneer green building solutions for 60 years, and Neil Kelly Cabinets has developed cabinet products and practices sensitive to indoor air quality and environmental sustainability via a national dealer network for more than a decade. Kelly is also a founding member of the Oregon Natural Step Network, an organization that supports businesses interested in reducing their impact on the environment.

“Consumers would rather do business with a company that is socially responsible, and right now that responsibility hot button is green,” states Kelly, who says committing to becoming a more environmental operation has been an important component in his company’s growth in recent years.

The serious green consumer is evolving all the time, according to Kelly. “Gen-Xers are probably more eco-conscious than the preceding generation of Boomers,” he observes. “They’re entering their prime buying years and they are going to drive the demand for green products and practices, as will the younger generation coming up behind them.”

Kelly cautions, however, that green is not a style per se – nor reflective of any particular look – and showrooms should still carry products that reflect popular market trends. In order to satisfy customers’ wishes as well as their budgets, he says, it is not uncommon to create designs that blend both traditional products and eco-friendly products in one.

“Customers buy styles they like regardless of whether or not they want green,” emphasizes Kelly. “The consumer doesn’t expect a green kitchen to look any one particular way.”

Creating a Green Showroom

Carrying eco-friendly building products is a terrific start, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Increasingly, consumers are interested in doing business with those companies that incorporate environmentally friendly behaviors in their day-to-day operations.

Consider these suggestions – many requiring minimal to moderate effort – for making your business more environmentally responsible: