- June 15, 2021
- Dyami Jasdanwala
Our bedrooms are our private sanctuaries. This is where we go to relax after a long day at work or school. It is where we retreat to when we want some time to ourselves, away from the constant action of the rest of the household. Bedrooms best suit your personality and style based the design and decor, which often varies from the rest of the home. What better way to create or renovate your bedroom than to do so in a vegan manner! This helpful guide shares the top tips on how to design your bedroom using vegan and sustainable alternatives while still embracing your personal style, functionality and beauty of the room.
Let’s Start with the Bed Foundation
The first and most important step to designing a vegan bedroom is choosing a bed frame and headboard. According to Vegan Interior Design by Aline Dürr, the best recommended vegan material is a wooden frame. Untreated, natural timbers make up the bed frame and lets the mattress breathe from underneath. Common vegan materials in bed frames include metal and wicker. Padded headboards typically have wool or feathers; a great vegan alternative is using cotton or other natural fibers like bamboo.
Choosing the Right Mattress
The component of bedding that determines if you got a good sleep or not is the mattress. Conventional mattresses use animal products in the lining, padding and upholstery layers. Aline Dürr’s book offers some great vegan and natural substitutions. Look for certified organic mattresses built with natural fibers. Some common materials include cotton, hemp or even natural pure latex. Most importantly test out the mattress in the store or choose one that has a forgiving return policy.
Bed Sheets, Blankets & Pillows
Want to feel warm and cozy in your bed but remain animal product and cruelty-free? Bedding is the main part of a bed that touches our bodies, so it is extremely important to take note of the materials and chemicals used in the fabrics. When buying bed sheets, certified fabrics like linen are a great option. Additionally, you can use organic cotton-made sheets and blankets. Other possibilities range from hemp and bamboo to millet hull and buckwheat hull materials.
Pillows serve as functional and decorative essentials to the bedroom. The materials that make up pillows often use animal and animal by-products. You can easily change that by picking from endless vegan alternatives. For example, swap out wool for organic cotton, or real fur for faux fur. These alternatives still provide the same cozy and stylish feel while also being hypoallergenic and breathable pillows.
Can’t Forget About Flooring & Walls!
Carpeting adds another layer to the bedroom; it creates a sense of coziness and comfort to your room. It also dampens sounds which is great when bedrooms are on the second floor. Typically, carpets use wool, silk or some sort of animal skin. A great replacement would be to use plant fiber materials, such as polyester, acrylic or nylon-made carpets. Whether you choose a small decorative carpet or one that fills the entire room, just remember to always ask questions to make sure that you are purchasing animal cruelty-free products. Other vegan options for flooring vary from cork and rubber to bamboo and concrete. You can use reclaimed hardwood flooring if you’re looking for a more rustic feel to the space.
Designing and decorating walls is a great way to add dimension to your room, and what better way to do so than with vegan paint or wallpaper. You might be thinking: How can paint have animal products? According to Better Homes & Gardens, paint uses many products that are sourced from animals, like casein, the main protein found in milk, or ox gall that comes from cows. However, vegan paint is made of plant materials, such as vegetable casein — completely cruelty free! If you want a bit of drama, you can go for wallpaper instead. Check out my recent YouTube video for the top tips on using wallpaper in your home!
Why Choose a Vegan Bedroom?
When designing your bedroom, you might not even think of how it affects your health. However, there are many toxic chemicals that hide in the fabrics and materials of bedroom furniture and textiles. Did you know mattresses have a negative impact on your health? Aline Dürr’s book mentions that memory foam, synthetic latex and vinyl, while usually vegan, all share harmful chemicals that lead to short and long-term health issues, such as respiratory problems. Thus, picking mattresses that are purely natural and organic are beneficial because they are breathable, durable and aren’t dangerous for your health.
Additionally, not only are linen sheets and blankets a more eco-friendly alternative, but being certified also means there is a lower risk of the fabric having chemicals that can cause possible long-term health problems. According to VeganDesign.org, if you have other furniture in the room, such as a leather armchair, it can contain chemicals like formaldehyde that cause rashes, headaches or breathing problems — not to mention leather comes from animal skin. Many people are also allergic to wool. Therefore, choosing natural vegan fabrics is beneficial because it creates a hypoallergenic and more comfortable bedroom to sleep in.
Turning Your Dream Vegan Bedroom Into a Reality
This beginner’s guide to designing a vegan and eco-friendly bedroom is to showcase how you can easily create a private oasis in your home while still being conscious of the products you use. Vegan-designed bedrooms look and feel just as functional, luxurious and cozy as any other bedroom, minus the animal cruelty. Want to learn more about vegan interior design in general? Check out my previous blog for more information!
Need further information? No worries, that’s what I’m here for! At Walden Interiors, we specialize in working with our clients to create complimentary dream homes. You can book a discovery call with us by clicking this link: https://walden-interiors.com/contact/ — let’s turn your dream into a reality!
