A Green Bedroom Says "I Love You"

“When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, “Did you sleep good?”

I said, “No, I made a few mistakes.” –Stephen Wright, American Comic

It’s hard to seriously imagine making mistakes while you’re sleeping, but if you’re designing a bedroom, there are good and better choices for your lifelong health.  During sleep, your body works to remove any toxins that you were exposed to during the day.  Sleep is the time for cellular repair, for rejuvenation, for restoration of energy and health for both body and mind.  That’s why, more than any other room in the house, you want your bedroom to be a pristine environment.

You may be surprised to learn that your bedroom can be a repository of potentially harmful chemicals.  Conventional mattresses, for example, are made with petroleum-based polyester and polyurethane foam, then treated with flame retardants. Those chemicals can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that become part of the air you breathe.  Pillows are also often made of synthetic materials that are treated with chemical finishing agents.  Other sources of chemical contamination:  Carpets, wall paint, wood furniture, even your cotton pajamas.  With everything else you have on your mind, you don’t need worries about the health of your bedroom to keep you up at night.

Luckily, there are products available to ensure your rest is undisturbed by allergens, toxins, or chemical vapors.  For my interior design clients, I recommend using natural furnishings and finishes free of formaldehyde, VOCs and petroleum-based products.  Here are a few simple steps you can take to ensure a healthful night’s sleep:

• Choose low or no-VOC paints when coloring your walls and wood trim.  Paints can emit VOCs over a long period of time, so just airing out the room may not be sufficient to create the healthful retreat you’re dreaming of.
• Choose hardwood floors (easiest to clean), finish them with water-based sealants (one of my favorites is Basic Coatings) and finally, cover them with organic wool or cotton area rugs.
• Select an organic mattress, made with natural latex, wool or organic cotton.  Be sure your pillows are all natural as well.  You can find pillows filled with organic wool or natural latex foam, and covered with organic cotton.  Non-organic cotton, by the way, is a heavily toxin-laden fabric.  Cotton is grown in fields soaked in insecticides; dyes and color fixers use heavy metals like chromium, copper and zinc.
• When choosing wood furniture, consider eco-friendly wood products that are FSC-certified, a designation from the Forest Stewardship Council ensuring that the wood was grown and harvested in a way that protects forests for the long term.  Antique furniture is beautiful, and has the added benefit of no longer emitting harmful gases from wood or finishes.
• Clear the air by adding a room air-purifier, or go one step further and install a central filtration system.  Models are available that filter particulates (pollen, dander and mold) and vapors (formaldehyde).

Remember that a good night’s sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  If you follow even one of these suggestions, you’ll be taking a step forward in improving the health of your family, yourself and our shared earth.  After many years of devoting my work to the values of sustainable design, my clients tell me they sleep easy.  I wish that for you as well.