Easy Green: The Ecofriendly Nursery

Healthy Flooring

• Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting in baby's room if you can. Carpeting, as well as the glue and backing used on it, tends to contain high levels of chemicals that can affect air quality. If you have decent floors underneath, consider removing existing carpeting — green factors aside, wall-to-wall also tends to trap dust, dirt, and allergens and is difficult to clean.
• If you really want wall-to-wall carpeting, look for carpets made from 100 percent natural fibers (like wool) with vegetable dyes and a latex backing. Green Depot's baby carpet is a great option.
• Newly installed wood or engineered flooring should be allowed ample time to off-gas before the room is used for baby. Over time (the more time you have, the better) the chemicals in the flooring and sealant will dissipate. Keep the windows open and use fans to speed the process along.
• Older, bare wood floors with a few soft area rugs made from natural fibers or recycled materials would be a wonderful choice for the nursery.

Nursery style notes: A small space like this one can still fit everything needed to give baby a cozy welcome home. Painting the walls the cool gray-blue of a cloud visually expands the space, and keeping decorative accents to a minimum keeps things neat and simple. The splash of tangerine in the crib bedding and curtains adds just the right amount of cheerful color.

Green Furniture Options

• Think first about what you may already have — a small bookcase can be perfect for holding baby's toys and books, and a dresser can store clothing and stand in as a changing table with a pad placed on top.
• Do shop vintage, but with a caveat — it's unlikely that older cribs meet today's stringent safety standards, so I recommend sticking with a new purchase for that one item. Vintage rockers, dressers, shelves and child-size furniture would make great finds.
• If you have a hand-me-down crib, check with the manufacturer to find out if it meets current standards, and learn more about what those standards are on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website.
• When shopping for new nursery furniture, seek out sustainable FSC-certified wood, 100 percent nontoxic or food-grade materials and finishes, and low-VOC paint. Online retailer Fawn & Forest is a wonderful place to start. Even if you don't end up purchasing anything there, you can familiarize yourself with the many green brands available.
• If you do purchase furniture brand new from a big-box store, set it up as soon as you can to allow time for off-gassing to occur. If anything you have purchased for baby's room has a strong chemical smell, air it out outdoors (or in a garage) for at least a week, more if possible. The fumes will dissipate over time.
• Your baby's crib mattress is an important purchase, since he or she will be spending an awful lot of time pressed right against it. Traditional mattresses are filled with fire retardants and other chemicals that give off harmful fumes, so consider splurging on a natural mattress. Naturepedic is a wonderful company that produces organic mattresses completely free of chemicals, made in Ohio. They are now available through retail giant Babies R Us, or check the website to find a store near you.

Green tip: Think quality over quantity. A piece like this classic Eames rocker may be a splurge now, but you will love it forever.

Nursery style notes: Don't be afraid of dark, rich hues in the nursery. When paired with white, wood tones and fun artwork, this dark wall feels sophisticated yet still child appropriate — and the lack of cutesy details means you probably won't need to repaint for a while.

Natural Details

• Go for natural-fiber textiles in the nursery. Organic cotton, linen and wool are all lovely choices.
• Etsy is home to many wonderful independent shops offering handmade toys and supplies, as well as artwork and decor for the nursery. Try a search on the site for "organic baby," "organic baby toy" or "nursery art," and many beautiful things are sure to pop up.
• Your baby will accumulate plenty (too many, surely!) toys in the upcoming years. Do him or her a favor and keep things simple now. A few special toys and books, lovingly arranged, plus a comfortable place to rest, snuggle and change diapers is really all you need.

Green tip: Avoid the need to shop for new furniture at each stage of development by using pieces that will work now and later. A daybed is a truly versatile piece that can be used now for tired parents to rest on, and later as a toddler bed and a comfy spot to curl up and read stories on. Here you can see a mattress set on a basic frame was pushed against the wall and finished with a pretty coverlet and extra pillows.

Nursery style notes: While bold colors and high-contrast black and white are said to stimulate baby, sometimes soothing is what we are after. For a truly restful, comforting nest for little one, choose soft, creamy shades of beige and white. Natural materials like woven baskets, driftwood and soft cotton and wool are ideal mates for this easy look.

Green tip: Think creatively about furniture you may already own. This hutch, for instance, now displays vintage silver baby cups and keeps small baskets of supplies close at hand. Even if you are looking for new furniture for baby's room, widen your search beyond baby and big-box stores to include tag sales and vintage shops. The prices are much more reasonable, and the finds more unique.

Green tip: The gorgeous chair pictured here is the Modern Luca Glider from Monte. With FSC-certified wood, soy-based foam cushions and water-based, biodegradable glue, this piece is an ecofriendly superstar, and the sleek lines mean it can happily move into your living room when baby is grown.

Green tip: Fake a cowhide rug with the DIY Faux Hide rug set from Flor, made with recycled content; shown here in green.

Nursery style notes: Scoop up an armful of empty picture frames on the cheap at local yard sales, then paint them cheerful hues to add dimension to an artful display.

Green tip: If you have a vintage rocker but crave a cushy new glider, save your money and warm up the wooden rocker with a sheepskin throw.

Nursery style notes: Map as decor? Wallpapered ceiling? Think beyond typical nursery decor for a truly unique look that will still feel appropriate when your little one is out of diapers.