Fresh, Nontoxic Takes on Home Decor

Spring is the natural time to refresh your interior world by refinishing floorboards, repainting walls, replacing worn bedding and whatever else appeals.

"In spring, big storms and high wind scour and cleanse the Earth so that new life can begin-and we feel a strong pull to do the same," says Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Home Safe Home: Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Everyday Toxics and Harmful Household Products (Tarcher/Putnam, 1997, $18.95). Here are some healthier options:

Paint

Nothing looks fresher than a newly painted wall. Paradoxically, few household products match conventional paint's toxic sheen of chemicals, which include petroleum-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs), so called because they vaporize into your home's air.

The Solution: Low-VOC paints or natural paints are now widely available. These include: BioShield casein milk paints (800-621-2591, www.bioshieldpaint.com) and Auro Paints (888-302-9352, www.aurousa.com), which are made without synthetic chemicals. Benjamin Moore's Pristine EcoSpec (800-826-2623, www.benjaminmoore.com) and American Formulating and Manufacturing's (AFM) Safecoat (800-239-0321, www.afmsafecoat.com) are low-VOC. E.C.O. of New York (800-238-5008, www.environproducts.com) also sells a variety of safer paints. No matter which paint you use, ventilate space by opening doors and windows for at least 48 hours or until paint dries before reinhabiting, especially for pregnant women and young children.

Bedding

Approximately one-third of our time on earth is spent between the sheets, with mouth and nose close to bedding. To keep from inhaling chemical vapors-which can provoke watery eyes and respiratory problems-avoid wrinkle-, moth-, stain- and shrink-proofed fabrics. And non-organic cotton accounts for up to 25% of the insecticides used in the world.

The Solution: For a real security blanket, try one spun of 100% organic, untreated cotton, available from Heart of Vermont (800-639-4123, www.heartofvermont.com). Coyuchi offers the "natural opulence" of 100% organic cotton sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers (888-418-8847, www.coyuchiorganic.com). To ensure sweet dreams, invest in an organic-cotton-covered, buckwheat-hull-filled pillow from Organic Cotton Alternatives (888-645-4452, www.organiccottonalts.com).

If the time has come to replace your mattress, organic cotton and chemical-free wool mattresses, with natural rubber cores, are available from Lifekind (800-284-4983, www.organicmattresses.com), Terra Verde (212-925-4533, www.terraverde.com), Gaiam (877-989-6321, www.gaiam.com) and Nirvana Safe Haven (800-968-9355, www.nontoxic. com). Unlike conventional mattresses, these are not stuffed with polyurethane foam, which can emit airways-and-skin-irritating vapors. Asthmatics and allergy sufferers will breathe easier atop cotton "allergen barrier" mattress encasings, which keep dust mites at bay. At Allergy Buyers Club (888-236-7231, www.allergybuyersclub.com), and at Gazoontite (800-4MY-NOSE, www.gazoontite. com).

Wood Finishes

So many of us rip our synthetic wall-to-wall carpeting only to uncover another challenge: How do we finish newly exposed floorboards without breathing in harmful petrochemical fumes?

The Solution: Tried and True wood finishes contain only pure linseed oil, beeswax and natural tree-sap varnish, and are safe enough to use on cutting boards and children's toys in addition to floors and furniture. From Environmental Home Center (800-281-9785, www.built-e.com). Auro and BioShield wood finishes are primarily plant- and mineral-based (see "Paint," page 1). AFM also makes low-VOC stains and finishes (see page 1).

Energy-efficient

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are a centuries-old method of cooling a hot house (or helping to disperse new-paint fumes), but they use precious electricity.

The Solution: Look for the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star label, awarded to fans that move at least 20 percent more air per watt of energy consumed (888-782-7937, or click on "find products" at www.energystar.gov).

Wood Furniture:

Old-growth virgin forests, the backbone of species diversity and a major global-warming buffer, are still being logged worldwide.

The Solution: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label on new wood means that it comes from a more sustainably managed forest. While some environmentalists are pressing the FSC for stricter standards, this remains the most eco-sound mark for now. Rainforest Alliance certifies some recycled wood products (888-693-2784, www.rainforest-alliance. org).

A Fresh Bouquet

Most commercially cut flowers are heavily dosed with pesticides. (Don't sniff too deeply!)

The Solution: Grow your own without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The Chelsea Green Publishing Company has put out wonderful how-to books (800-639-4099. www.chelseagreen.com), or ask your local vendor for unsprayed blooms. You can also order from www.organicbouquet.com (888-899-2468).

Vinyl Wallpaper and Miniblinds

The production of vinyl releases a hormone-disrupting (and carcinogenic) chemical called dioxin into the environment. Vinyl wallpaper can release harmful vapors. Vinyl miniblinds can contain lead, a nervous-system toxin.

The Solution: If you want wipe-free walls, you may consider skipping a wallcover altogether and going for one of the low-VOC or natural paints. Or, Innvironments has non-vinyl wall coverings fabricated from wood fiber and polyester, and printed with heavy-metal-free inks (800-227-8053, www.innovationsusa.com). Lighten up your windows with simple organic-cotton curtains, from White Lotus Home (877-426-3623, www.whitelotus.net). And let those decluttering spring breezes in!