Gone Green? Tips to Creating a Stunning Eco-Friendly Nursery
With more options than ever for Eco-friendly furniture, flooring, and painting, preparing a home for the newest member of the family couldn't be more exciting! Of course, you want to create the healthiest possible environment for the bouncy little one, and with increased availability of Eco-friendly baby items going green, you are no longer limited to standard muted tones. Remember your baby will be playing, growing, discovering and soaking up the environment around them. An environmentally-safe space doesn't have to be expensive. Here are a few functional components of a nurturing Eco-friendly nursery.
The Eco-friendly walls
Before you shop for those beautiful earth-friendly bedding sets, how about a fresh layer of paint to coordinate the furniture collection. Use zero-VOC or low=VOC paint for healthy walls. VOC-free paint is safe for use in a nursery and offers a wide range of colors.
You can use an Eco-friendly wallpaper that doesn't contain vinyl coatings or any other yucky substance, especially in the glue used to adhere the wallpaper.
Tip: Paint the nursery at least 2-3 months before the baby arrives to allow time for fumes to subside.
The Healthy floor
Installing a brand new floor? Do this with ample time to allow gas fumes to sink in the room, especially with a newly installed wood floor. You want all the chemicals used in the flooring and sealant to disperse before you use the room for the baby. Avoid carpeting the baby's room, particularly with a wall-to-wall carpet. A carpet absorbs and traps dust, dirt, and allergens, which affect the air quality.
Tip: Use carpets made from 100 percent natural fibers such as wool. Bare wood floors or floors made of sustainable harvested wood and bamboo make a wonderful choice for a nursery.
The Eco-friendly furniture and bedding options
Hunt for a crib, dresser or rocking chairs constructed with unfinished wood. Use padding made with natural materials such as cotton or wool. While purchasing new furniture, hunt for those made of 100 percent nontoxic or food-grade materials. A natural mattress is an important purchase, considering your baby will spend an awful lot of time pressed against it. Use natural and untreated fabrics for bedding materials.
Tip: Reuse and recycle. Look for new ways to use the small bookcase you threw away in the garage as storage for the new toys. Use old pieces of furniture as storage solutions. Remember it's green to recycle!