Get in sink with your bathroom decor

Dear Debbie: We bought a fixer-upper last year and are renovating the kitchen and bathrooms this summer. So many decisions. We are trying to be eco-smart about faucets, toilets and the shower, but are concerned that the lower water will not give us very good output. And it's also more expensive. What do you think? — Marcel

Dear Marcel: Conserving water is one of today's biggest challenges. Most of us living in North America are simply not used to the idea that there isn't an endless supply. I understand your concerns about performance, but with the innovative work that has been done by eco-conscious companies that manufacture plumbing products, there are excellent options that meet your demands and save significant amounts of water. Staying with your existing (old) plumbing, you can save water by taking shorter showers, turning off water while brushing teeth and being conscious of how often you turn the tap on. While this is helpful, it is not enough. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense program, massive amounts of water will be saved by switching to water-efficient fixtures and technologies.

When you are shopping for your fixtures, look for the WaterSense label, and discuss the performance quality with knowledgeable staff. Buying high-performance water-efficient products will be the best investment you can make. Here are some products from Kohler (www.kohler.com) that will help you save water: The Sensate kitchen faucet features touchless control, moving your hand or utensil under the nozzle turns the water on or off, so no waste. Its Purist kitchen faucet has a low-flow aerator option and a pause function on the spray for operating outside the sink. For your bathroom, look for toilets that have high-efficient flush options such as dual flushers. Customize your shower with Kohler's DTV digital interface. It allows you to set spray patterns and water temperature. To help save water, this interface has a pause button to stop water flow for up to two minutes, and you can also set the shower duration.

Dear Debbie: We live in a ranch-style bungalow and recently replaced the siding in a light sage green color; the window frames and doors are white. In the middle of the front is a porch with a wall of burnt-orange brick. What would you suggest for roof (color, style) and would you paint the brick? Would you change the color of the entry and garage doors? Thank you. — Darlene

Dear Darlene: Think about what you want to see when you look at your house. I would maximize the entrance, which is almost hidden behind tall bushes and shrubs. Start by moving them to the side of the house beside the garage, and plant a low garden along the entrance path. Choose a darker shade of your sage green to cover the white on the garage door so that it is less prominent. The front door is a home's welcoming focal point; it is up to you how you would like to treat it. You can go bold with a contrasting color or paint it the same shade as the brick. Warm gray, black or woody brown are classics. One option for the roof would be to replace the shingles with rusty orange tiles that would tie in with the entrance brick. Tiles are more expensive, but would be stunning. A dark grey roof tile would also work well, tying in with the mortar around the bricks. Leave the bricks natural; they make an attractive contrast with your siding.

Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, and visit Debbie's new website, www.debbietravis.com.