Article: 10 Tips for creating an eco-friendly nursery
10 Tips for creating an eco-friendly nursery
Dedicated to sustainable lifestyle and interior design with vegan paint on the walls and a green energy unit in their Frogmore Cottage home as well as an organic vegetable and herb patch in the garden, the word is that the happy new royal parents Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have created an eco-friendly and gender-neutral Scandi-style nursery for their beautiful newborn son Archie Harrison.
If you’d also like to make sustainable choices for your little loved-one(s) from the very beginning here’s Cam Cam Copenhagen’s founder and creative director Sara Giese Camre’s best tips to create an eco-friendly nursery.
Words by Sara Giese Camre
Lack of beautiful products made from organic materials was one of the main drivers behind setting up Cam Cam Copenhagen. In Denmark we had been eating organic produce for a while but there was nothing available when it came to organic products for the home when decorating the nursery.
Organic products are not only better for the environment but better for you and your baby. Think about all the surfaces and materials that your baby will come into regular contact with and you will think twice about the items you choose for your baby. At Cam Cam Copenhagen we are a GOTS certified company. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is recognised as the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. It means that we must fulfil a certain level of environmental criteria to receive this certification.
Here are my top tips on how to design an eco-friendly nursery.
1. Organic textiles
Give your child the best start by choosing decoration items and textiles that are made from organic cotton. Cam Cam Copenhagen is a GOTS-certified company and our products use 100% organic cotton. I thought about how important it was when decorating my daughter’s nursery that the bedding, muslins, sleeping bags, baby nest, really everything that babies are in constant contact with, should be organic and free of chemicals and toxins. Look for GOTS and OCS labels to bring you peace of mind.
2. Avoid the throwaway culture
Use products and furniture that have longevity and are flexible to avoid the need for frequent replacing. Opt for products which have a long lifespan or can be passed on to future generations. For the first few years, you will need a changing table. Our Harlequin Changing Table can be converted into a dresser/cabinet keeping thus its relevance long after the baby years have passed.
Use products and furniture that have longevity and are flexible to avoid the need for frequent replacing. Opt for products which have a long lifespan or can be passed on to future generations. For the first few years, you will need a changing table. Our Harlequin Changing Table can be converted into a dresser/cabinet keeping thus its relevance long after the baby years have passed.
3. The Bed
Go for an adjustable bed, which can transform from a crib to a toddler bed so you don’t need to replace it as the baby grows. Our Harlequin Baby Bed is a perfect match and is finished in VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) free paint.
Go for an adjustable bed, which can transform from a crib to a toddler bed so you don’t need to replace it as the baby grows. Our Harlequin Baby Bed is a perfect match and is finished in VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) free paint.
4. Breathable paint or wallpaper
Our furniture collection uses only VOC free paint, free from toxins and harmful chemicals. If you are painting the nursery, choose a VOC free paint which will minimize the risk of allergies. If decorating with wallpaper, opt for wallpaper which is eco-friendly. All of our wallpaper is CE-certified and has an A+ certificate in “Emissions In Indoor Air”.
Our furniture collection uses only VOC free paint, free from toxins and harmful chemicals. If you are painting the nursery, choose a VOC free paint which will minimize the risk of allergies. If decorating with wallpaper, opt for wallpaper which is eco-friendly. All of our wallpaper is CE-certified and has an A+ certificate in “Emissions In Indoor Air”.
5. Toys made from natural wood & organic cotton
Babies love to explore everything with their hands and mouths. Toys should therefore be free from BPA and phthalates. All of our toys use sustainably sourced wood and organic cotton. Our rattles are made from Maple wood, our playgym (which converts into a playtent allowing happy playtime usage for many years) is crafted from birch plywood and uses GOTS certified organic materials for the tent cover. Even our dolls’ clothing and accessories are made from organic cotton.
Babies love to explore everything with their hands and mouths. Toys should therefore be free from BPA and phthalates. All of our toys use sustainably sourced wood and organic cotton. Our rattles are made from Maple wood, our playgym (which converts into a playtent allowing happy playtime usage for many years) is crafted from birch plywood and uses GOTS certified organic materials for the tent cover. Even our dolls’ clothing and accessories are made from organic cotton.
6. Stimulation
It is your job to stimulate your baby and develop their skills from the very beginning. In the beginning a mobile and some music will be very entertaining and later on you need to learn all those songs with finger gestures and do baby yoga and somersaults. We have a beautiful range of organic cotton mobiles and music mobiles ensuring good entertainment for your baby. And our organic cotton play mattresses are great for somersaults and toddler playtime.
It is your job to stimulate your baby and develop their skills from the very beginning. In the beginning a mobile and some music will be very entertaining and later on you need to learn all those songs with finger gestures and do baby yoga and somersaults. We have a beautiful range of organic cotton mobiles and music mobiles ensuring good entertainment for your baby. And our organic cotton play mattresses are great for somersaults and toddler playtime.
7. Lighting
Use lighting to create a nice atmosphere in the nursery with muted light sources. A night light is important for most children. When it comes to lighting the nursery, use energy efficient lighting like LED lights which are longer lasting. Our textile balloon lampshade creates a dreamy and cosy environment for the nursery and can be used with LED light bulbs.
Use lighting to create a nice atmosphere in the nursery with muted light sources. A night light is important for most children. When it comes to lighting the nursery, use energy efficient lighting like LED lights which are longer lasting. Our textile balloon lampshade creates a dreamy and cosy environment for the nursery and can be used with LED light bulbs.
8. Playtime
It’s important to have a little corner for playing when the baby is around two months old. This can be in the living room or in a nursery - whatever suits the family the best. In the beginning a play gym is ideal for entertainment and stimulation. You can hang lots of different toys from a play gym and change around, when your baby starts to get bored. Later on the range of toys will grow and it will be nice to be able to keep it in storage baskets or displayed nicely on a shelf like our Harlequin Shelf. Our organic cotton quilted playmats make an ideal addition to the nursery for playtime and tummy time.
It’s important to have a little corner for playing when the baby is around two months old. This can be in the living room or in a nursery - whatever suits the family the best. In the beginning a play gym is ideal for entertainment and stimulation. You can hang lots of different toys from a play gym and change around, when your baby starts to get bored. Later on the range of toys will grow and it will be nice to be able to keep it in storage baskets or displayed nicely on a shelf like our Harlequin Shelf. Our organic cotton quilted playmats make an ideal addition to the nursery for playtime and tummy time.
9. Bathtime
A soft organic hooded towel is perfect for bathtime. Cam Cam Copenhagen’s soft baby towels are made from the finest GOTS-certified 100% organic cotton. The towels are wonderfully thick and weaved in our signature wave pattern which dries faster due to its airy design.
A soft organic hooded towel is perfect for bathtime. Cam Cam Copenhagen’s soft baby towels are made from the finest GOTS-certified 100% organic cotton. The towels are wonderfully thick and weaved in our signature wave pattern which dries faster due to its airy design.
10. Bamboo dinnerware
Opt for plastic-free dinnerware like bamboo utensils when the time comes to weaning your baby. Bamboo has the added benefits of being extremely strong and durable, heat resistant as well as stain and odour resistant. Team with an organic cotton bib for an all-inclusive eco experience.
Opt for plastic-free dinnerware like bamboo utensils when the time comes to weaning your baby. Bamboo has the added benefits of being extremely strong and durable, heat resistant as well as stain and odour resistant. Team with an organic cotton bib for an all-inclusive eco experience.
