Last Economy’s Trash = This Economy’s Treasure

Once thought of as a case strictly for charity, reusing clothing items has become an integral and environmentally savvy facet of green parenting. Now that Goodwill clothing is ‘hip’ (the D.C. stores have a Goodwill Fashionista on their payroll), and we are witnessing the advent of the ‘frugal teen’, can a shift in thinking among parents who once turned up their noses at the idea of hand-me-down or gently-used options for children be too far behind?

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If you are looking for stylish, contemporary, environmentally-friendly furniture for your nursery, look no further than Oeuf. This Brooklyn-based husband and wife design duo - named after the French word for egg - serve up adorable kids clothing and furniture that are as easy on the eyes as they are on the planet. My favorite design on the Oeuf menu is the ‘Classic Collection’ of baby furniture. Featuring a matching dresser / changing table, a movable changing station, and a crib that converts to a toddler bed, Oeuf’s versatile 3-piece collection will stylishly and sustainably cover all your baby furniture needs from birth until kindergarten.

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Cotton Monkey is your one-stop shop for beautiful, organic baby bedding. The image above is a fitted sheet from the gorgeous Cotton Monkey Whispering Grass Collection of baby bedding. According to Cotton Monkey textile designer, Harmony Susalla, this lovely and soothing design was inspired by the foliage in her backyard: “All of the plants in this print are native to the California redwood coast. None of them were planted, they just grow of their own accord.”

In case you are wondering what a baby nursery decorated entirely with Whispering Grass looks like…

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Boopalina & Bebe is a playful, independent children’s eco-lifestyle brand with an offbeat, alternative design edge. Their green collection incorporates organic cotton and bamboo fabrics into lively patterns, pairing the essence of free-spirited youth with an eco-friendly outlook. Today we’d like to share our interview with Boopalina & Bebe founder Kristen Angelo. This interview is the first of our ‘Meet the Maker’ series where Inhabitots writers go behind the scenes to chat with designers about what inspired them to ‘go green’ and push forward on the frontier of sustainable design for families.

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When a company trumpets its simple philosophy of being a good citizen, you can’t help but want to know more. More about its manufacturing processes, its employment practices, its impact on the community and in my case, more about its branding and logo design. Luckily ducduc™ Director of Communications, David Harris, made himself available to tell us more.

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If you want to know the history of the products you buy for your child, ducduc would be a good place to go. Based in New York City with manufacturing facilities in Connecticut, ducduc is a company that attends to every detail, from sourcing sustainable hardwoods from Northeast US forests to providing living wages and benefits to each of their employees. Among their extensive furniture collections, the
Austin Crib caught our eye for its slim profile and functional flexibility.
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From Humanity Organics comes the amazing co-sleeping tool, the Humanity Family Bed. Being a long-time advocate of co-sleeping, I only wish that I had known about this great sleeper when my son was born. We all co-slept, and it worked out well, but it would have been much easier with this family bed addition. The Humanity Family Bed consists of an extra thick absorbent pad that you easily place atop your bed’s mattress. There’s plenty of room for parents and baby to cuddle down for the night.

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It’s a real comfort to know that some of the most innovative and versatile contemporary furniture pieces on the eco design front are for precious newborns and cute tots (and the parents who love and want the very best for them!) We’ve seen an explosion of green baby products from great design companies like Modern Seed, Speesees (highlighted in our Holiday Gift Guide for Kids,) and even the adult-favorite, Design Within Reach. A real stand-out as an eco modern nursery investment in this niche is Ooba and the gorgeous pieces in their Nest Collection. The Ooba bassinet looks as good as any other design piece in the rest of your home and sustainably compliments your lifestyle in the most modern and functional way.

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Iglooplay’s adorable line of eco mod children’s furniture will leave you wishing they made an adult version. Based in Brooklyn, NY Iglooplay children’s furniture collection combines organic forms with practical ergonomics and a modernist sensibility that engages both children and adults. Designer Lisa Albin first conceived the collection following her first baby after finding that there was little too choose from when it came to thoughtfully designed children’s furniture. While observing the way her growing toddler interacts with the world she began to develop designs that were engaging to kids while aesthetically pleasing to adults.

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We love all things convertible that bring multiple functions to one beautiful object. A great example: Argington’s Ayres Twin Bed, which is a pint-sized twin bed for your tots, with a second trundle that pulls out for sleepovers (or proof that there AREN’T monsters under the bed). Argington uses FSC woods and non-toxic finishes, all designed with sleek and simple kid-friendly aesthetics.

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The “cradle to cradle” concept really comes home in the YiAhn bassinet — an infant cradle that transforms as the baby grows, taking on new functions as the child’s needs change. The bassinet, intended for babies from birth to 4 months, converts into a toy bin and book shelf that the child can use until age 4, and then into a chair and table for kids learning to read, write and draw. If a new baby comes into the family, the materials can once again be assembled into a bassinet.
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What better way to scare away monsters under their bed than with flutters on their walls? Ditch the traditional clunky (and inefficient) night lights for these low-energy UK-designed butterfly lights from creative forces Soner Ozenc and John Wischhusen. The Glowings/El Flutter collection of glowing butterfly nigh lights are safe and cool, emitting a soft diffused light from their wings using an electroluminescent fabric. Great for your little one’s rooms when they’re scared of the dark. Maybe buy an extra for yourself, too.

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