Animal Rockers

Adorable animal-shaped rocking chairs by Manny and Simon. Made in the US, constructed out of 100% post-industrial recycled wooden residuals, finished with zero-VOC paints. Shapes include dino, elephant, lamb and monkey.

Creating a Healthy Nursery for your Baby (and the Planet!) - Part III

We've been having very insightful discussions with Claudia Kalur, a European interior decorator and founder of A Room for Frances, about eco-friendly nurseries and children's rooms. This week Claudia is discussing Wall Treatments. You can ask questions using the comments field here or on our Facebook page.

Wall Treatments - Part III

Walls are the largest element in any room and, from a design stand point, there are several options that will help you define the look you want for your nursery or child's bedroom: painting, wallpapering, wood trims and wainscoting, for instance.

Let us start with the easiest - wall color: easy to wash and easy to change. There are now endless options on the market for Zero-VOC paints. Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that are known to have detrimental affects on our health and the environment - when we say that it "smells of fresh paint" - those are actually the VOCs that you're inhaling. We personally swear by Natura, by Benjamin Moore but there are plenty of other good brands on the market like Mythic Paint, the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company and Health Spec by Sherwin Williams, among many. If you insist on using normal paint, do your best to avoid going in the room for at least 24 hours and let is air out before using it - especially if you are pregnant!

Regular wallpaper is one of the least eco-friendly products you can ever have, but there are now several alternatives made of paper from sustainable forests and without the off-gassing elements. The only issue when it comes to little one's rooms is that is not washable - what makes a wallpaper washable is the very toxic PVC coating. However, if you are using wallpaper in a room for an older child (6 year old or older), there are great "colour me" options like the Tick-Tock, from Minimoderns, or the Frames Wallpaper, from Land of Nod - even if you use it on just one wall, it is great to release the artist in your child - and you! 

Wainscoting is also a beautiful option - it makes a room cozier and warmer, both in appearance and in temperature, and there is now the green alternative, High Definition Polymer System (HDPS) wainscoting. The downside once again is that those crayon marks are not that easy to clean or re-paint! 

Whatever you decide to do on the walls of your nursery, there certainly are now several environmentally friendly and beautiful options, whether you are aiming for a modern and more traditional look. 

Click here to access last week's posting from Claudia, covering "Flooring" concepts.

Stay tuned for coming weeks when Claudia will be discussing sustainable lighting  for children's rooms and nurseries.

Claudia Kalur is the founder of A Room for Frances, Nursery and Children's Room Design. She lives in rural Connecticut with her husband, Steven (an architect who specializes in green building systems), their 18-month-old daughter, Margot, and their doggy, Bayou.

Creating a Healthy Nursery for your Baby (and the Planet!) - Part II

Last week we introduced Claudia Kalur, a European interior decorator and founder of A Room for Frances. Claudia will be our guest writer for 8 Mondays, providing amazing suggestions and tips on designing eco-friendly nurseries and children's rooms.

Flooring - Part II

 Babies spend most of their early years either crawling on the floor, or simply playing on it so you should consider it carefully.
If you have the possibility to start from scratch, your best choice is hardwood or bamboo flooring with a natural, non-chemical, fruit derived finish, like tung oil - it is easy to clean, lasts forever, and honestly, the most attractive. Cork is always a wonderful option as well - very soft under crawling knees (and tumbles) and great for absorbing noise.
Tile floors are also environmentally friendly, long lasting and easily washable but they are, in my opinion, very hard and cold surfaces - unless you have (hydro) radiant heating. Both hardwood floors and tiles can be covered with area rugs, which will cozy up and soften the space.
Flooring is one of the largest surfaces in any space, so rugs make great decor statements! The best options are natural fibers such as untreated wool or cotton, jute, sisal, seagrass or hemp - and if you like the "shaggy" type, there are now bamboo-made versions! Vintage rugs are a very eco-friendly alternative as well and open up to great decorating possibilities. Finally, there are carpet tiles made from recycled materials that can be easily removed for regular cleaning.
Avoid commercial wall-to-wall carpeting at all cost - not only is it hard to clean but, as it is now common knowledge, it releases harmful chemicals and is a hot bed for mold and mites that are known to cause all sorts of allergies. It will also be more difficult (and expensive) to change later on. If you're set on a wall-to-wall option, there are manufacturers offering low VOC wall-to-wall carpeting which is great but it still requires constant vacuuming and shampooing.

Click here to access last week's posting from Claudia, covering "Long Term" concepts.

Stay tuned for coming weeks when Claudia will be discussing sustainable lighting and walls for children's rooms and nurseries.

Claudia Kalur is the founder of A Room for Frances, Nursery and Children's Room Design. She lives in rural Connecticut with her husband, Steven (an architect who specializes in green building systems), their 18-month-old daughter, Margot, and their doggy, Bayou.