As "green" becomes an increasingly household term, more and more people are gaining knowledge in eco-friendly products as a means to live healthier. But when considering green products for the household itself, many people struggle to find the products they have heard so much about. Where can a gardener go to locate organic fertilizer? Where can an expectant mother find the safest paint for her baby's nursery? And where on earth can someone find natural oatmeal pet shampoo for their dog?
Oak Parkers may now confidently consider the search over. Located at 823 S. Oak Park Avenue, Green Home Experts is a building and home supply store dedicated exclusively to eco-friendly products for homeowners. The store carries products for each room in the home in addition to pet and garden supplies and insulation products.
"We really pride ourselves in the products we carry," said storeowner Maria Onesto Moran.
The store has only been open for a little over two weeks, but according to Moran, the days are rapidly moving by and business is good. She is the only worker at the store which allows her the opportunity to familiarize herself with every customer that visits her store. With only a few customers on a daily basis, she continually develops a friendly and warm environment for her clientele.
"I want people to feel like when they walk in the door, we are all neighbors from the community."
Moran has been working with Green Home Experts for a little over a year. Prior to working in the store, she worked at home for the past nine months.
It all began over the internet as she posted requests for green products. She and her husband then began working on their first home. They found that they would have to purchase eco-friendly products online. That's when she knew that there was the need for a store that could assist customers on finding the right green products for them. She knew people needed things ranging from non-toxic cleaning products for the bathroom to recycled glass countertops for the kitchen, even fluorescent light bulbs for the bedroom.
Green products pose little or no dangers to health, undergo benign manufacturing processes, prevent deforestation and are generally cost-effective. At the same time, more people are becoming more conscious about the environment, says Onesto Moran.
"Everyone needs to be aware because this is our planet and we need to make choices to help our environment," said Harlene Ellin, a customer of Green Home Experts as well as an employee at Designs of the Interior, another store located in Oak Park. After transitioning from journalism to interior design, Ellin has been in the design business for over five years.
Designs of the Interior, 1035 W. Lake St., carries eco-friendly furniture but is not an exclusively green store. Ellin said that she hopes to do business with Onesto Moran at Green Home Experts and help educate people about green products.
"I want to offer up [Onesto Moran's] line to help our customers," said Ellin. "People have to know that these types of things are out there."
In an effort to discuss business plans, Ellin paid a visit to Green Home Experts and became a quick customer.
"I went in to meet [Maria] and ended up walking out with cutlery made of corn," said Ellin.
She further explained how she is a mother of three and the cutlery she purchased will come in handy when she packs her children's lunches. She can now use the disposable, earth-friendly eating utensils as opposed to sending her little ones out with silverware or plastic spoons and forks.
"I didn't know this kind of cutlery ever existed until now," said Ellin.
Ellin plans on going back to Green Home Experts to restock on her eco-friendly cutlery and possibly purchase other green products. Ellin suggests that people do more research about the importance of green products and their effects on people and the environment.
Onesto Moran says that her ultimate goal at Green Home Experts is to "give people options they don't have in the Oak Park area."
The store is unique to the area and, according to the owner, customers are really excited to finally have local assistance with not only remodeling and redesigning their homes and gardens, but to be able to do so in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way.
As for pet owners, Green Home Experts carries everything from organic pet beds to biodegradable waste bags.
Green Home Experts held their grand opening festivities on Saturday, Feb. 23. Onesto Moran looks forward to continual success for the store and hopes to create a community movement based on a healthier and cleaner environment through the use of green products in the home.
"It's hard, but it's something I really believe in," she says.
