So I’m in Orlando two weeks ago for the Builder show. First time for me. Wild! Incredible booths, celebrity chefs, big-time giveaways, amazing products. Made me want to build a house. Or buy one of the many that have already been built but remain unoccupied. But that’s another story.

Anyway, the day before the Builder show I was asked to participate in an Armstrong-sponsored summit meeting that brought together some of the leading experts on environmental awareness. The goal was for Armstrong to gather ideas on how to win over the residential consumer as green begins to gain a foothold in this segment. My role was to share the retailer’s perspective. In other words, whether consumers really give a dang.

A few interesting points came out of the meeting. Eric Cohler, a world renowned interior designer, was most candid. He said of the 30 projects he does each year, maybe two consumers talk green before he brings it up. It’s not that they are anti-green; it’s just not their first priority.

Cohler believes consumers find green to be complicated. When Linda Sorrento of the U.S. Green Building Council suggested labels that denote a product’s “greenness” may do the trick, Cohler said that with so many environmental organizations establishing their own criteria and labels, that may only add to the confusion. He said it has to be simple.

He pointed to the Energy Star label, which is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy. Consumers immediately know which products in more than 50 categories use less energy, save money and help protect the environment.

So what did I have to say? After talking to many retailers, I think it boils down to a few key points. First, I think the green movement has latched on more at the high end and in major metropolitan areas. It will take longer for green to resonate at the lower end and in rural areas. Second, it will initially be up to the retailer to make consumers aware of their green options. Third, it’s still about aesthetics and performance first, and then price. Show me a green product that looks the same, performs the same and costs the same, and it’s a no brainer. But you’re going to have a hard time convincing someone who is struggling in this economy to pay more for green. At least that’s what I think.

Hey, I’m no different. Last year I was at Staples to buy a few reams of paper for my home printer. I picked up five. Then I noticed what appeared to be the same paper, only recycled. I put down the reams I was holding and went to replace it with the recycled paper. Then I saw it was $1 more per ream. Guess what? I picked up my original pile.

Green is great, but right now it has to be the cherry on top and not the ice cream. Unless we’re talking mint chocolate chip.