Green Professionals Share Favorite Nursery Furnishings

The health concerns that inspire many to create a green home are even more critical when a baby is involved. Yet outfitting a healthy baby nursery can be surprisingly challenging—sometimes “greenish” is the best you can do. We asked three New York–based green professionals to recommend their favorite nursery furnishings.


Cheryl Terrace
Cheryl founded Vital Design Ltd in 1997 and has built it into one of New York’s premier green design firms.

“I think it’s worth mentioning that one of the best solutions for nursery furniture (dressers, armoires, etc.) is to buy used items, which will have already offgassed many new smells,” says Cheryl. “If necessary, you can repaint with no- or low-VOC paint. (Safecoat is a favorite.) Avoid furniture painted with lead paint, which you can test for with one of the kits available at hardware stores.

“Also, make certain that the crib meets current safety specs. Friends with children who’ve outgrown their crib are a good place to start looking for a used crib. In New York, Housing Works runs several thrift shops and Craigslist always has a lot available. If you are going to buy new, I’m a fan of the custom cribs and changing tables made by GreenRidge Specialties, a woodworking shop in Pennsylvania that uses only green products, such as FSC-certified woods, wheatboard, low-VOC finishes and nontoxic glues.”


Jennifer Thornton DiDonna
We caught up with interior designer Jennifer Thornton DiDonna just after this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair, where she was researching products to sell in her New York–based store, Hazel Wood Children, opening in the fall of 2006.

Jennifer is impressed with furniture from Ducduc and Argington:

“These two companies represent a recent phenomenon in children’s furniture—it’s ‘50s modern design that’s pleasing to both the child and parents,” she says. “I believe some of these pieces may be things parents will want to keep around even after the child has outgrown them. Ducduc and Argington are probably the best options on the market that combine high design with green attributes. These are good pieces of furniture; they will stand the test of time.”


Mark Caserta
In the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, where a baby boom is under way, Mark and his wife Samantha opened 3rLiving, a home decor and lifestyle store, in 2004.

“Little Merry Fellows’ Moses Basket has been one of the most popular baby products we sell,” Mark says. “Their organic cotton products recognize the importance of putting your child in a safe, chemical-free environment.

“I just came across Iglooplay at Brooklyn Designs. In talking with them I was impressed with both their designs and their commitment to sustainability. This furniture would look absolutely beautiful in the child’s room, and the wood is sourced from sustainably managed forests.”