2021 Sustainable Bedroom Trends: Rest Easy With This Guide
Last Updated: Feb 23, 2025The average adult sleeps (or is recommended to sleep) between seven and nine hours a day. That means that as adults, we'll spend approximately 229,961 hours during our lifetimes sleeping; in other words, about one-third of our lives. Is anyone willing to bet that those hours have increased in 2020 since the COVID-19 pandemic started? And, we're not only cozying up in our bedrooms for rest and escape from the perils of the world, but we're also curling up on the couch to catch some extra shut-eye.
While a vaccine will be available soon and life may return to some semblance of "normal," we may long feel the pandemic's impact on our lifestyles. The need to incorporate sustainable products and materials into any home renovations or décor project to decrease our impact and mitigate climate change is critical. Never has this been truer than for bedrooms, in which we spent so much time relaxing, resting, and replenishing.
To rest easy and responsibly, here's a look at how to incorporate beauty, comfort, and convenience into bedrooms in 2021, with minimal damage to our health and natural resources.
Table of Contents
- How Do You Create a Positive Bedroom Environment?
- How Do You Know if Furniture Is Non Toxic?
- What Kind of Carpet Is Good for Bedrooms?
- Are Flame Retardants Toxic?
- How Do You Know if Paint Is Safe?
- Do Air Purifiers Work in Bedrooms?
- Are Mattresses Really Toxic?
- How Can I Make My Bed More Comfortable?
- Style: Simple, Sustainable
How Do You Create a Positive Bedroom Environment?
The sustainable bedroom of 2021 begins with zero (or as few as possible) artificial materials and products. According to a statement from the Environmental Protection Agency, the indoor air in a typical US home is two to five times more polluted than the air outside. If we can't breathe easy while we're sleeping - when we're at our most relaxed and vulnerable - then when can we?
So, do your best to eliminate all plastics and other polymers and choose furniture, carpet, paint, and mattresses carefully. Also, consider purchasing an air purifier to mitigate dust, dander, allergens, and viruses from your sleeping space. We go into detail on each of these below.
How Do You Know if Furniture Is Non Toxic?
Make sure your wood furniture is free of toxins. Conventional plywood contains urea-formaldehyde, which off-gasses toxic fumes. Look for products made with formaldehyde-free plywood or solid wood or furniture constructed with FSC-certified wood.
Solid bamboo is an excellent alternative for furniture and floors. So is reclaimed hardwood. Cork is also great for flooring or walls.
What Kind of Carpet Is Good for Bedrooms?
If you're set on choosing carpet, consider wool, which is soft, durable, and non-toxic. Remember that carpet collects dust, dirt, and hair and thus needs regular deep cleaning. Carpeting's glue and foam backing can off-gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)—unless, of course, you choose low- or zero-VOC carpet. On the upside, carpet can be recycled at the end of its working life.
Select natural fabrics when choosing curtains and bedding. Cotton, wool, and bamboo are good options.
Are Flame Retardants Toxic?
Your bedroom furnishings should also be free of other toxins, including flame retardants. Chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (which deplete ozone) are a no-no. Pesticides and wood preservatives, heavy metals (including lead, mercury, cadmium, and nickel), and phthalates are all on the do-not list.
How Do You Know if Paint Is Safe?
Select low-VOC or no-VOC paints and stains for walls, ceilings, furniture, and floors. As Greg Snowden, owner of Green Fusion Design Center in California, told HGTV, "a bucket of traditional paint [is like buying] a bucket of petrochemicals."
Added Anna Sova, who designs and sells her sustainable products through annasova.com, "Painting with traditional latex is basically like stretching a sheet of plastic across the room." Milk paint is a non-toxic option. So is zero-VOC paint from Valspar's Simplicity line, Natura by Benjamin Moore, and SPARTAZERO by Dunn Edwards Paints. Check out Rise's complete guide to no- and low-VOC paint here.
How Can I Make My Bed More Comfortable?
Now to bedding. A quick search will show you many options: fair-trade pillows and pillows stuffed with vegetable fibers, buckwheat hulls, and wool; organic cotton sheets; comforters made with biodegradable fill are just a few examples.
Organic cotton is affordable, breathable, easy to clean, and is free of fertilizers or pesticides. Still, bear in mind that its production requires more water than regular cotton.
Eucalyptus bedding is one product with less environmental footprint than cotton, as it requires ten times less water. Eucalyptus is also resistant to mold, dust, and insects. Sheet and Giggles have several options. Also, consider organic hemp and linen. Cozy Earth has bamboo bedding.
Consider purchasing locally crafted furnishings made from reclaimed materials or one-of-a-kind items found at thrift or consignment shops. Refurbish old headboards, side tables, or bureaus with a new coat of milk paint. Natural fabrics, real wood furniture, and smart dimmable lighting with LEDs contribute to a clean, fresh, sustainable bedroom aesthetic.
Camille LeFevre
Camille LeFevre is an architecture and design writer based in the Twin Cities.
