A cot, a wardrobe, a dresser and later a real bed and maybe a desk. A lot of stuff goes into that nursery too. Not to mention the cuddly toys, toys and other accessories. Can that be more sustainable? Yes, you can! Buy it second-hand, upcycle what you have or make it yourself! It will be a lot cheaper and more original. There are enough standard children's rooms already! Do it differently!
A sustainable nursery for a bargain!
Is there a little one on the way? Or is your child ready for the next step? As a parent, there are several moments when you have to start working on a new nursery. You can do this in two ways: you go to the (online) shop and buy a set. New. In the Netherlands, you have a lot of kids‘ rooms that were created this way. Nice and easy, though. Or you turn it into a cool project and try to turn it into a sustainable children's room. No home improvement shops, no plywood furniture and no ’latest trends', but an original room with lots of second-hand furniture. In short, a room with a story that totally suits your kid. But how do you do that? Sustainable kids' room tips? Here they come!
Create a mood board for the nursery
A cool bed, a funny kids' desk with vintage bookcase next to it... Some people really have a knack for styling. No worries if you have not developed that sense as much or as yet. Long live Pinterest. Create a mood board and use it to guide your choices in the thrift shop or at Marketplace, in my opinion, the best places to find stuff for the kids' room. If you create a mood board, you will be able to find things in the shop faster that match the colours and materials that match your mood board.
Moodboard of the nursery versus a sneak peak of the final result.
Reuse what you already have
With a sustainable nursery, another tip is to reuse what you already have at home. And it's often more than you think! A handy trolley that just gets in the way in the kitchen also works perfectly as storage for stuffed animals, an old wardrobe can still last another round with a lick of paint - what am I saying: it turns out to be a great closet! Maybe you also have relatives (parents? grandparents? uncles? aunts?) with a big attic. Go and see what's there and whether you can and may reuse it. Try to look through it a bit. Maybe you can dress it up or use it or paint it just a little differently. And the nice thing is: this furniture is free and often has a good family story.
Pimping up an old IKEA cabinet
I myself once dyed an old IKEA cupboard grey for my son's toddler room. That was already a good sustainable step to give that inspirationless white cupboard a second life anyway. The result was definitely cool, but after a few years the colour grey was starting to get a bit boring. Did the pimped-up IKEA cupboard have to go anyway? Or a different colour perhaps? Surprise: we painted the wall behind the cupboard ochre yellow, which makes the grey cupboard look gorgeous to this day.
Go in search of one showpiece
A children's room is usually not that big, so one showpiece is often enough. Look for something striking, something special, something that gives the kids' room a unique twist. A cupboard, a soft toy, a special (vintage?) desk. At our house, it turned out to be a rattan arch cabinet I found on Marktplaats and bonus: a ghetto blater with lights that we found by chance in my in-laws' attic. They were delighted we took the yo-yo with us. Just sat there gathering dust. Need some tips for finding great second-hand furniture for a kids' room? Then check out these Martkplaats shopping tips.
Look for cute decorations at the thrift store
With that mood board on your phone, you can start looking for cool gadgets and accessories to further decorate the sustainable nursery. Maybe a wooden stool, colourful reading books, a coat rack with fancy dresses? You name it, you can find it at the thrift store. Although, flea markets are also a great place to find sustainable nursery treasures. Shopping tips for flea markets we also have!
Upcycle!
Changing the colour of a cupboard is one form of upcycling, but you can go even more wild. Not so handy? At Etsy and on Instagram you will also find many creative DIYers who make cool furniture to order. A few ideas: a hanging lamp made of old cardboard (bought), a plant pot made from a bag of craf paper potting soil (homemade), a spice rack transformed into a bookcase (homemade from Martplaats find), a handmade lampshade from vintage fabric (had it made).
Also getting started with your sustainable nursery?
Hopefully these tips have given you enough inspiration and incentive to get started on a sustainable nursery! And remember: the search for that cute second-hand furniture is just as important as the result. Enjoy that search!
More tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also see: what is the environmental impact of those cute cuddly toys?
- Also see: thrift store shopping tips for finding the best clothes.
- Also see: a long list of fun, better children's clothing brands.
Photo credits: Angela de Vlaming.
