Organic Baby Nursery Style – The Nursery Issue 2008

Soothing, comforting and organic by design and color. Simple geometric patterns, a neutral color palette and natural materials create a nursery that is serene and balanced.

1. Inhabit Axis Stretched Wall Print ($70) – inhabitliving.com
2. Paper Cloud Sunflower Pendant Lamp($185)-paper-cloud.com
3. Luca Glider by Monte Design( $900) – montedesign.net.
4. Campaign Crib by DucDuc ($1700)-ducducnyc.com
5. NettoCollection Loft Changing Table ($1700)-onestopmodern.com
6. Karma Deluxe Hand Tufted Rug ($432)-spacify.com

Eco-Friendly Convertible Baby Cribs – The Nursery Issue 2008

The Green Design movement has unleashed a desire among environmentally-aware expectant parents for more than the status quo furniture for baby and home. Savvy parents now look for furniture that grows with baby and works hard. Baby cribs with changing stations are a start but what’s really hot in today’s baby furniture industry are cribs that do it all and convert into furniture toddlers can use; saving parents money in the long-term as well as helping reduce the carbon footprint associated with furniture manufacturing.

1. Tati Super Bed Convertible Crib ($2200) – Super it truly is. This baby crib converts to a toddlers bed, a night stand, and a desk. Buy at modernmini.com
2. Oeuf Classic crib ($890), modular in design, comes with the option to add a detachable baby changing station and then converts to a toddler bed. Retailer locations: oeufnyc.com

5 Tips For Green Nursery Shopping – The Nursery Issue 2008

1. Look for nursery furniture made from sustainable and renewable sources such as bamboo, cork or from trees harvested from renewable forests in which trees are planted for those cut down.

2. Recycle, Repurpose and Reclaim – three words to keep in mind when looking for environmentally friendly baby furniture. Many home furnishing manufacturers are now using reclaimed woods . As for repurposing, take a walk into any thrift store and let your imagination go wild.. Note the only exception to this rule: buy the crib and mattress new from a Green Vendor.

3. Buy locally if at all possible, doing so will reduce the carbon foot print required to transport the furniture. This is another reason to check out second hand stores for furniture you want, since that furniture has already made the trip once.

4. Avoid any furniture products created with particle board since formaldehyde is used to bind the wood particles. Formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound (VOC) and should be avoided. Also take note of paints and varnishes used on the furniture, as with the formaldehyde avoid VOC laden finishes.

5. Ask for natural fibers (silk, linen, cotton) for furniture fabrics and eco-friendly foam (soy foam is becoming more widely available) in sofa cushions and pillows.

BABY GOES GREEN

Solare Crib Ash Cloud with Moonlight Mobile from qCollection Junior Baby Furniture – a celebrity favorite counting among their fans: Gwyneth Paltrow . This eco-friendly baby crib adheres to strict sustainability standards. No use of toxic Formaldehyde! Safe for baby and for the Earth. ($1220 at qcollectionjunior.com).

Baby Natura Organic Crib Mattress is made with all-natural Talalay latex a renewable natural resource. The mattress is covered in a soft, European 100 percent organic cotton cover. Eco-conscious parents will also love the no-pesticide standard this company embraces. (naturaworld.com).

Blanket Friend made of 100% Organic Egyptian Cotton ($15) – (underthenile.com).

6 Nursery Design Trends for 2008-2009 – The Nursery Issue 2008

Nursery furniture continues to undergo a major design transformation from the days of Victorian styled cribs, and the use of traditional design. Today contemporary and modern styled furniture is quickly over taking the nursery design market as more and more parents purchase baby furniture that reflects their own modern style preferences.  For the remainder of 2008 and the coming year of 2009, expectant parents can expect to find even more stylish, luxurious modern nursery furniture with an added bonus: modular furniture that is timeless in design and will grow with baby to toddler to early teen. The six predominate themes in baby furniture that we saw at the recent furniture and decor markets are:

1. Multi-purpose furniture – changing station integrated into crib like the Studio Crib from NurseryWorks.net on the right.
2. Modern furniture design that mirrors mom and dad’s contemporary style.
3. Eco-friendly nursery furniture that is organic, sustainable and décor made from renewable resources and WITHOUT chemicals like formaldehyde.
4. Focus on storage and furniture that provides lots of room for all things baby.
5. One-of-a-kind nursery cribs and personalized artwork like the retro wall plaque from Sherri Blum Design.com on the right.
6. Ergonomic, chic and high design nursery gliders and rockers for mom.

8 Tips for Decorating The Nursery for New Parents – The Nursery Issue 2008

ASK THE DECORATING DIVA

Q.

We are expecting our first baby, and I’ve already started dreaming about creating the perfect nursery but I’m stuck – I don’t know where or how to start. We can’t afford to hire a nursery designer so we will be doing all the work ourselves. Thanks, Alexis.

A. Alexis, Congratulations on the new addition to your family.

Your new baby’s room should be a warm, inviting and above all a safe and healthy haven.

I recommend that you consider the following :

1. Design with Safety In Mind At All Times: Insure that there will be no choking, strangling, electrocution or other hazards near baby at any time.
2. Consider Your Budget : The budget will drive all your purchasing decisions and the ultimate design of the nursery. If you can only afford to buy one new piece of furniture, let it be the crib and mattress.
3. Space Planning: Floor planning tools such as Google’s Sketch-Up (free), BHG.com’s Room Arranger (free) and Better Homes and Garden Home and Garden Designer software ($80) will help you plan baby’s room effortlessly.
4. Walls : Nursery murals are quite popular but can be very expensive, noting that budget is a concern for you, I’d recommend using a neutral wall paint and purchasing wall art like decals, lettering , pictures or ready made “murals” to help get the look of a lovely wall without the associated high price tag.
5. Flooring : Opt for wood floors, bamboo or cork floors with natural fiber area rugs. Avoid carpet which can off-gas, serve as a dust trap and can affect baby’s sensitive respiratory system. I discourage the use of hard flooring like tile.
6. Furniture: Look for multi-purpose furniture as this will help you both space-wise and budget- wise. Many cribs now come outfitted with extra storage, and in some cases there are cribs that have detachable changing tables. In the Décor Spotlight section on July 31st, we highlight several baby changing tables that double as heavy duty storage. Also keep in mind that as baby grows you will need to buy additional furniture. Thinking for the long term you may want to consider convertible furniture that will grow with baby. It will most definitely be a short-term expenditure but it will become a long term savings as new furniture will not be needed for several years.
7. Accessories: Lighting , decorative pillows, bedding and linens , and other decorative accent pieces will help bring your baby’s nursery theme together. They are small details relative to the furniture, but no room is complete without them. A “neutral” white crib is transformed when dressed in cheerful, colorful and interestingly patterned bedding. The nursery will glow brilliantly with the light of pink crystal chandelier. Personality flows from a wall decorated with lovely art work or letters spelling baby’s name.
8. Functionality Before Aesthetics : Never more true than in a nursery. Buy baby furniture, crib bedding and décor that perform . Avoid the common error of buying something just because it’s beautiful with the thought that you will make it work. A gorgeous glider that isn’t ergonomically designed will become an ugly, pain in no-time.

Have a design or decorating question? Send it in to: qa@thedecoratingdiva.com.