How can you design the bedroom sustainably?
Getting enough sleep is important to start the next day with renewed energy. But you can only enjoy a restful night’s sleep if you transform your bedroom into a real oasis of well-being. The best way to do this is to choose a style of furnishing that is as natural as possible – this way you will not only sleep healthier, but also do something good for the environment at the same time. To help you design your bedroom more sustainably, we would like to present a few ideas here.
Why a climate-friendly bedroom?
Everyone is talking about sustainability today. Every individual can set an example for the environment. So why not start in your own bedroom? After all, this is where we spend a lot of time: no less than a third of our entire lives is spent resting every night. And there are good reasons why sustainable interior design is particularly worthwhile in the bedroom.
For one thing, you are quickly exposed to toxic environmental influences – if you don’t furnish your bedroom carefully, you will in most cases opt for pieces of furniture that are full of environmentally harmful substances and have been produced in a way that is anything but climate-friendly. Bed linen and other bedroom textiles are also affected. So to sleep healthier and protect the environment at the same time, it’s best to opt for an ecological bedroom.
Environmentally friendly bed
The bed is the heart of the bedroom – that’s why it should be chosen with special care. A durable natural wood bed is particularly recommended. Here, however, all types of tropical wood should be avoided, because rainforest clearances are an enormous environmental burden. After all, the excessive deforestation of the world’s largest forest areas has fatal consequences. For example, the natural habitat for many animal species is lost and global warming continues to rise.
That’s why you should only choose bed frames that are made of local woods, such as fragrant Swiss stone pine, durable oak or robust birch. Also, make sure that the respective product bears the FSC seal. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council® and guarantees that the wood comes from strictly controlled forestry. This means that it has been obtained and processed in an environmentally friendly way.
Natural mattress made of healthy material
The choice of a suitable mattress also plays an important role when it comes to creating a sustainable bedroom. As with the bed frame, special attention should be paid to the material. Many mattresses are made of plastics that are harmful to the environment and health and have a negative impact on the room climate and the quality of sleep.
Mattresses made of natural latex, for example, are very sustainable. They are made from the milk of the rubber tree. The entire tree is not felled, but merely notched – so there is no devastating deforestation. But to be really sure that the mattress is free of any harmful substances, you should look for the ÖKO-TEST label or the seal of approval from Stiftung Warentest.
Sustainable wall design
Bare, white walls can seem boring, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. The walls in the bedroom can also be painted with a nice, fresh wall colour. Of course, the sustainability aspect should not be ignored. After all, conventional wall paints are often harmful to the environment and therefore create a bad indoor climate. So be sure to look for pollutant-free wall paints based on natural ingredients to set a good example in terms of environmental friendliness.
To create a harmonious colour scheme, it is best to follow the traditional colour wheel. If you can’t decide on a single colour, it’s best to choose shades that are directly next to each other on the colour wheel. This creates a particularly harmonious atmosphere.
Natural bedroom lighting
A sustainable lifestyle also means reducing your energy consumption wherever possible. Especially in the bedroom, you can easily save electricity – after all, it doesn’t need to be overly bright here anyway. Unless you like to read a book in bed before falling asleep – in which case it’s best to buy energy-saving LED lighting.
For a particularly cosy atmosphere that is also climate-friendly, it is advisable to equip the bedroom with beautiful candles. You don’t necessarily have to buy new ones. Have you ever thought of making your own candles? That way, old candle remnants don’t have to go straight into the rubbish, but can be recycled.
Sustainable bed linen
A climate-friendly bedroom also includes sustainable bed linen made of durable and ecologically responsible materials. The GOTS seal, the most frequently awarded certification that promises one hundred percent organic quality, reveals whether these have been obtained flawlessly.
But which materials are actually suitable for sustainable bedding? For example, opt for pure organic cotton – probably the most common material for the production of duvets and pillows. But it doesn’t always have to be cotton! Natural fibres such as linen and hemp are also gaining in popularity. After all, these are not only sustainable, but also convince with their temperature-regulating properties as well as their beautiful appearance.
Sustainability begins in your own home. Especially in the bedroom, there are many ways to set a conscious example for environmental protection. Climate-friendly furniture, textiles, lighting and wall design bring more sustainability into your personal sleeping oasis and ensure a restful night’s sleep!
This blog entry is a guest post
kindly written for us by Polstermöbel Fischer.