Catalog > Green Tots - Organic > Green Decorating Tips

GREEN KIDS ARE HAPPY KIDS

If you are excited about going green, your child’s room is the perfect place to start.  With all the options in the market place, you can easily make a “green” baby or child’s room. Whether your preference is antique, traditional, or modern.   “green” is fun!

Paint is the easiest and least expensive way to give your child’s room an instant makeover.   Two issues must be considered when painting.  The first is lead. Lead-based paint hazards are most prevalent in homes built before 1978.   Because children’s brains are still developing, they are vulnerable to lead, a highly toxic neurotoxin that can cause lower IQ’s, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. So if you live in a pre-1978 home, test your walls for lead paint before painting or renovating.   For more information, contact the National Lead Hotline at 1-800-LEAD (5323).

The second issue is volatile organic compounds, (VOCs ), which are solvents in paint, such as benzene, styrene, and formaldehyde, that cause the familiar-but-unhealthy "new paint smell." Some VOCs are carcinogenic and some cause health issues like headaches and fatigue.     VOCs can especially cause harm to the developing brain of a child. So be sure to use Low-VOC or Zero VOC paints.    Many paint companies are now offering low or no-VOC paints so you will have an unlimited variety of color choices.     If you are pregnant, have someone else paint the room, and make sure it's at least a month before the baby is due.

For furniture, the easiest way to go green is to recycle.   If you have old furniture that is scaled in size to fit your children’s room, paint it.   No time to paint?  Not feeling creative?  Thankfully, many furniture companies are being environmentally considerate and using sustainable practices in the manufacture of furniture.   

What is sustainable furniture?   Typically, it means that products are produced with the future health of the planet and the people on it in mind. Sustainability has to do with ecological integrity, (the healthy functioning of biological organisms within the ecosystem), as well as economic and social impact.    Social impact involves the identification of issues, the development of standards and the implementation of programs that address corporate responsibility for the ethical treatment of employees, communities and other stakeholders. Take a look at the photos here.  Both the girl’s room and the boy’s room feature furniture that is manufactured in a sustainable manner.

When it comes to bedding, don't forget that your kids spend a lot of quality time in their sheets and blankets. Make sure you have good bedding made from organic cotton that isn't laden with chemicals. We have a good selection of healthy bedding for babies to teens here.    You should also look into mattresses made of organic and natural materials.

When it comes to choosing flooring for your child’s room, like furniture, there are a myriad of eco-friendly flooring options.    For example, cork is a great option for flooring in children’s bedrooms and playrooms.   A highly renewable resource, cork can be harvested every nine years from the same cork trees.   Globus Cork tile flooring is manufactured from waste created by making cork wine stoppers.  It’s also VOC free and soft on tender tootsies.    Easy to install and pretty.  For more information, visit www.corkfloor.com

Reclaimed wood flooring is another wonderful option.  There’s a little bit of everything available here, from antique heart pine to reclaimed Australian chestnut, which, in this writer’s opinion, is absolutely gorgeous. This is the most eco-friendly option out there as long as chemical strippers and sealants aren’t used in the process.

Bamboo is another good option for flooring.  A sixty-foot tree cut for market takes sixty years to replace.  Meanwhile, a sixty-foot bamboo cut for market takes 59 days to replace, according to the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan.  Bamboo is officially recognized as the world's fastest growing plant and has a tensile strength comparable to steel.  Bamboo flooring has a beautiful golden color and adds an elegant, relaxing feel to any room.  

Kermit the Frog sang, “It’s Not Easy Being Green.”   The last stanza of the upbeat children’s song goes: “When green is all there is to be, it could make you wonder why, but why wonder why? Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful! And I think it's what I want to be.”  These words were never as true as when applied to decorating your children’s rooms.

Sorry, but there are no products matching this criteria. Please try again.