Lately do you find yourself doing everything you can to be greener? You bring your own shopping bags to the farmers market, you recycle religiously, and you never leave a room with the lights on. If you’re wondering what else you can do to befriend Mother Nature, good news: there’s always more to do. Why not try making your bedroom your next greening project? Whether you love your bedroom as is and just want to up the “green factor” or you realize it’s time for a 100% do-over in this most special of rooms, there are plenty of ways to become more eco-friendly in your bedroom.
Start with the bed, where you spend (hopefully) eight hours sleeping every night. A lot of the bedding on the market is made with synthetic products like petrochemicals and formaldehyde. But there are plenty of natural sheets out there to slip into when it gets dark. Cotton is the most common and affordable of the ingredients (look for organic!), but there are sheets made with linen, bamboo, hemp, or silk. Environmentally friendly pillows can be stuffed with wool, feathers, or down.
You should even think about upgrading your mattress. Look for one that has no toxins, polyurethane foam and fire retardants. These chemicals are toxic and have been shown to lead to learning deficiencies. Instead, find mattresses made with environmentally friendly components like organic wool, cotton, and latex.
You’ve heard about it before, but have you gone to the trouble of replacing all your conventional light bulbs with CFL’s? CFL, or compact fluorescent bulbs, save an astounding amount of energy – they use only one fifth of the energy of conventional bulbs.
Talk to a contractor or interior designer and invest in fixing your insulation. One huge factor driving up your heating and electricity bills are the small cracks in the walls that could easily be caulked. Especially around windows, gaps are common in many houses. Filling them in will lead to easy energy conservation.
Redecorate with used furniture. Before you buy anything brand new, take some time to do some vintage, antique, and plain old used furniture shopping. Shopping this way is not only hugely less expensive, it also gives you the opportunity to find something one-of-a-kind that nobody else will have.
Repaint your bedroom walls with environmentally friendly paints. Want to get your room to look totally different with one big masterful move? Paint it. There are so many color options – why limit yourself to the one you already have? When you go to the hardware store, ask for eco-friendly brands – there are plenty that will give you the vibrant, long lasting color you’re looking for. Say good bye to the toxic odors, chemicals and solvents that come with most paint!
As a green freak, Elena Morgan has greenified every room in her house—including her bedroom. She’s in love with interior design and recently bought modern bedding online. Photo by Mazzali
