Create a Natural Baby Nursery

FLOR tiles can arranged to look like a wall-to-wall carpet or an area rug. Flor's Shirt Stripe is a colorful striped pattern that can be arranged parquet-style. Modern Mix and Walking on Clouds are other good baby nursery options. (www.florcatalog.com)


• The tiles are available through the manufacturer and also at Lowe’s, CB2 (Crate and Barrel’s sister store), and Design Within Reach. An 8 by 10 rug requires 34 tiles and starts at about $340. When you need to replace old tiles or if your baby outgrows the décor, Interface pays for you to ship the old tiles back to them for recycling.
  
  
• Area rugs made from natural fibers such as jute, sisal, seagrass, coir, and hemp, have become very popular. They look good, are durable, and cost less than wool rugs. Pottery Barn carries 100% jute rugs starting at $349 for an 8 by 10 rug. Boston-based Merida Meridian (www.meridameridian.com) has a wide variety of jute, sisal, coir, seagrass, and even paper-based rugs. You can select from a number of different borders.
  
  
• Cotton rag rugs are another alternative. Minnesota-based Prairie Rugs (www.prairierugs.com) offers rugs made of recycled rags from cotton bedding. According to the company, the rugs are dyed with a fertilizer-based dye and the dye water is then used to fertilize the fields around the facility. Rugs aren't treated with a stain repellent.
  
  
• The main downside is that these rugs aren't as soft as other options, but the denser weave also means they'll hold up over time. They come in a variety of solid colors, including nursery-friendly Seafoam, Pink, and Desert. A 6 by 9 rug is $249.

• When buying a tufted rug or carpet, look for ones made with a jute or natural-latex backing and vegetable dyes.
  
• If using a conventional carpet or rug, consider airing it out in a well-ventilated area for at least a week before it’s installed. If possible, ask the retailer to have it unrolled in the warehouse for at least a week before it’s delivered.
  
• Look for products with a green label by the Carpet and Rug Institute (www.carpet-rug.com). It’s a voluntary program. Manufacturers can sign up and have their products independently tested for VOCs and other emissions.

3) Furniture

• Cribs, dressers, changing tables and shelves made with laminated wood, pressed wood, medium density fiberboard, and particle board can emit formaldehyde due to the glue in the products. Avoid products made with these materials, look for formaldehyde-free products, or find products made with phenol formaldehyde, which emits less gas than other types.
  
  
• Opt for solid wood cribs and furniture with low-VOC paints or finishes.
  
  
• Consider buying unpainted solid wood furniture and then painting it in fun colors using milk paint, which is naturally VOC-free. The Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company (www.milkpaint.com) is one of the more popular milk paint manufacturers.
  
  
• Another option is to buy unpainted solid wood furniture and stain it yourself using a low-VOC stain such as one from the Livos line (www.livos.us).
  
  
• If you aren’t using a VOC-free product or aren’t sure, remove all packaging and air out the product for a few weeks in a well-ventilated, unoccupied area such as a porch, garage, or shed.

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