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Our friends over at West Coast Mommy share some helpful tips for turning your bedroom into a more restful, earth-friendly space.
We spend about a third of our lives in bed, so a comfortable and tranquil bedroom is one indulgence I yearn to have. But, with a toddler still sleeping in my room, a dog under the bed, and late night “Mommy! Mommy!” calls from my kindergartner, it’s not as easy as I would hope!
I still do my best to create an eco-friendly and non-toxic sanctuary, though. Choosing greener options doesn’t have to be difficult or prohibitively expensive. Here are a few ideas to start:
- Select soft, restful colours for your bedroom walls and decor. A 2013 study by Travelodge found that people who sleep in blue, green, and yellow bedrooms get the most sleep. Whatever colour you choose, make sure the paint you buy is VOC (volatile organic compound) free.
- Use bedside or floor lamps with energy-efficient CFL bulbs for soft area lighting instead of a harsh overhead light. (Make sure to recycle old CFL bulbs properly.)
- Leave the TV and electronics outside the bedroom.
- Choose carpets or area rugs made from textiles with low chemical emissions or from natural fibers like wool. Avoid Stainmaster coating, a perfluorochemical (PFC) that pollutes water supplies and persists long term in both the environment and in our bodies.
- Choose luxurious, eco-friendly bamboo bedding.
I’ve been a big fan of Cariloha ever since trying their ultra-soft bamboo resort sheets last year and seeing first hand how they helped keep us cool on summer nights. But, bamboo isn’t just for summer! For the past few weeks, I’ve been keeping warm and cozy under Cariloha’s newest addition to their bedding line-up, a duvet comforter made entirely of viscose from bamboo.
Cariloha’s new all-season bamboo duvet ($279) is both thinner and denser than the old down duvet I had, and it keeps me just as warm. Bamboo is naturally thermally regulating as well as odour and allergen resistant, which of course makes it an excellent choice for bedding. Even though I have never had any issues, some people may experience feather allergies or even asthma symptoms when using down comforters and duvets. Down also comes with ethical issues depending on how it is gathered. Many places around the world still collect down by plucking it from live birds, and that’s something I refuse to support.
In comparison, bamboo is one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable resources on the planet. Bamboo grows quickly and thrives without the need for pesticides or herbicides. Bamboo uses significantly less water than cotton, filters toxins from contaminated soil, absorbs up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare, and produces 30% more oxygen than a similarly sized hardwood forest. However, the processing required to turn it into fabric isn’t always the same. As a green family, it’s important to me that Cariloha’s rayon from bamboo is manufactured in a closed-loop process that keeps pollutants out of the environment and makes the process as environmentally friendly as the bamboo itself.
Cariloha also carries matching duvet cover sets ($219) in four nature-inspired colours: white, graphite, blue lagoon, and Caribbean mint. Each set includes a sateen finish duvet cover with wooden button closures and two matching pillow shams with mitered flanges and French-flap closures. I chose the set in graphite. I love how restful the colour is!
Like all their luxury bamboo items, the duvet cover and pillow shams feel incredibly soft and stay cool to the touch all night long. Paired with our Cariloha resort sheets, it’s seriously like sleeping on a cloud. At the end of a long, busy day with my kids, settling into bed, pulling the duvet over me, and closing my eyes is just about the best moment of the day.