How to Make Your Kid's Bedroom More Sustainable
If we want to save our climate, we all need to start living more sustainably.
Countries and corporations are the biggest polluters, but we as individuals can do our part too. This extends to the products we buy to furnish our homes, including our kid’s beds and accessories. Teaching our kids about sustainability is vital, as they’ll be most affected by the environmental breakdown.
There are several things you can do when designing a kid’s bedroom to make it more eco-friendly, from using toxin-free materials to ensuring your furniture is built to last. It doesn’t mean sacrificing style or fun, either.
Here are our top tips to make your little one’s room FUN-damentally kinder to the planet.
1. Look for FSC-certified wood
FSC-certified wood is confirmed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to be ethically produced. This means it comes from a forest that is strictly managed to preserve biological diversity and benefit the local community.
Many of our beds are made from FSC-certified wood. The Nordic Kids House Bed Frame is crafted from FSC-certified pine with an MDF headboard. It has two drawers and a trundle bed underneath – perfect for sustainable sleepovers.
The Oeuf River Single Bed is made from Baltic birch plywood and eco-MDF, produced in a European FSC-certified facility. It has a handy bench at the end, and there’s also an optional trundle drawer. It encapsulates a chic Scandinavian style!
2. Choose Lifetime
Lifetime kids’ furniture is brimming with eco credentials. The high-quality furniture is made from FSC-certified wood, and everything is painted with non-toxic paint and eco-friendly water-based lacquer.
All the electricity used in Lifetime’s factories and offices in Denmark comes from wind power. Their customisable storage pieces and beds are built to last and will take your child from toddler to teen.
The Wildlife Climb & Slide Kids Bed has a rope ladder and slide, which can be removed when your little one grows out of them. The Customisable Bookcase is available in an incredible 5 sizes, 7 door colours and 9 handle options, which you can change up in the future.
3. Invest in a convertible bed
Another way to make your kid’s room more sustainable is with a convertible bed.
These beds can be adapted as your child grows, so you don’t need to buy a new one. For example, the Leo L Shaped Combination Bunk Bed has 2 configurations as a bunk bed, with the lower bunk as either an L-shape or parallel to the top. When kids get older and want their own room, you can split the bed into a high sleeper and a single bed.
Similarly, the Lifetime Canoe Adventure 4-in-1 Combination Bed has 4 configurations that can carry your little one through their childhood. The bed can go from a low house bed to a raised house bed, to a high sleeper bed and then a single day bed, perfect for teens.
4. Find multi-functional furniture
Multi-functional furniture pieces also mean you need to buy less overall, reducing your carbon footprint and waste.
The Alfie Modular Mid Sleeper functions as a mid-sleeper bed with storage underneath or as a single bed (mid-sleeper or low) with a separate storage unit.
If you’re short on space, the Lifetime Cabinet with Hideaway Table & Bench combines stylish storage with a convenient table and chairs. It’s ideal for your little one to do their homework or arts and crafts.
5. Go for furniture that grows with them
Kid’s furniture can also convert by growing to fit your child. This is another way to avoid buying new items as they get bigger.
The Oeuf Brooklyn Desk in White & Birch has 3 height settings, so they can do their school work all the way from 1+1=2 to advanced algebra. You could even use it yourself once they’re in bed.
Speaking of which, for a bed that will grow with your child, check out the Oliver Furniture Wood Original Junior Day Bed. This beautiful white and oak toddler bed can be converted into a full-sized single bed, loft or bunk bed using the optional conversion kits.
6. Select natural materials
Along with FSC-certified wood, look out for furniture made from natural materials, such as rattan and bamboo.
Bamboo has several environmental benefits: it is fast-growing, renewable, absorbs more carbon dioxide and produces more oxygen than an equivalent tree mass. It is also strong, durable and long-lasting.
The Bamboo Clothes Rail and Rattan Anja Table by Bloomingville are great examples of kid’s furniture made from natural materials and will also give your kid’s room an on-trend boho look.
7. Buy bamboo bedding
Bamboo is not only used for furniture.
As well as being more eco-friendly, swapping out your little one’s bedding for bamboo alternatives has several other benefits. Bamboo bedding is antibacterial, hypoallergenic and naturally wicks away moisture.
Panda London’s The Cloud Bamboo Duvet and Bamboo & Linen Bedding Set are soft, breathable and perfect for snuggling!
8. Consider a double bed
You might not have considered a double or small double bed for your young child, but it can be a cost-effective and sustainable choice. A bed of this size will last them into their teenage years and even adulthood.
From a non-sustainability viewpoint, a double bed is also a practical solution for parents to cosy up to read bedtime stories or comfort their little ones at night.
The Beach House Double Bed and Adventure Hangout Double Bunk Bed, both by Lifetime, combine the practicality of a double bed with all the fun features that appeal to kids. The roof panels and sides can be removed as your child grows to leave a stylish small double bed.
9. Pick wooden toys over plastic
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest issues facing our environment. Plastic can take hundreds of years to decompose and never fully biodegrades but breaks down into molecules that remain in our soil and water forever.
You can do your bit to help by limiting the amount of new plastic toys you purchase for your child. Instead, choose second-hand or wooden toys. Many of the wooden toys available are just as colourful and exciting as their plastic alternatives – check out these beautiful options from Kids Concept.
The Pull-Along Block Train is perfect for toddlers, and the Tool Set Play Set is a fun and practical gift for kids (train them up to do a spot of DIY!)
Ready to Create an Eco-citing Kid’s Bedroom?
With our planet-friendly furniture and accessories, it’s easy to make your child’s bedroom more sustainable. If you’d like to talk about any of our kid’s furniture, call us on +44 (0) 1305 231231 or email customerservice@cuckooland.com – we love to chat.
