Sustainable Designs for a Child's Playroom

Being an eco-conscious parent means knowing what is being used in every room in your home, from carved bamboo kitchen wall art to that unique wall art made from recycled metal hanging above the fireplace.  That includes the child's playroom where toys outnumber people and plastic can overtake the room quicker than you can blink.  Thankfully, there are some great ways that you can incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly items into your playroom decor.

Cork

Cork is a great sustainable resource.  It can be used in everything from the child's cork board to the flooring to the wall coverings.  Not only is cork easy to install, it also adds great versatility to the design of the space.  Whether you want to hang things from it or cushion things with it, cork lets you do both.  You can also paint cork with low odor paints to add color and visual interest, if desired.  As a flooring option, cork provides natural cushioning.  It is perfect for helping to protect little knees and bottoms as they play in the room.  It is expensive as a flooring choice, but if a sustainable product is what you are after, cork is definitely a good option.

Bamboo Flooring

When you are thinking about flooring options for a child's playroom, bamboo may not be the first option that comes to mind, but it is a very viable choice.  Bamboo is one of the most sustainable resources in the world.  It has the feel and strength of wood, but is actually a grass.  It can grow to maturity in seven years and be harvested for all different types of products.  As flooring, bamboo is highly durable, as well as highly stain and scratch resistant.  All of those attributes are important in any playroom flooring.  If the thought of using it as flooring is unnerving, consider using bamboo cabinets along one of the playroom walls.  Not only will they add storage for toys, but they will a durable and versatile option as the playroom evolves and the child gets older.

Wall Coverings

You may not think of wall coverings as being part of a sustainable design, but there are many different options that can provide you with an eco-friendly room.  Natural grass wallpaper is a great option for the upper parts of a playroom wall, but should probably be avoided down where little hands can pick and rub at it.  It comes in a variety of colors and textures, which makes it perfect for adding visual interest beyond the visual cacophony of the toys in the room.  Another option is to use low odor paint.  This may not seem like an eco-friendly choice, but it helps prevent air pollution in the playroom environment.  This is especially important if your child, or other family members, have a high sensitivity to odors.

Creating a playroom with sustainable materials can be done with creativity and thought.  In most cases, you will need to search outside of the normal realm of children's furniture and look at specialty stores to find the products you need.  A sustainable playroom is not only good for the environment, but it is also good for teaching your children about protecting natural resources.