Fan of the Week: Claudia Kalur

Meet Claudia Kalur, a bright interior decorator of children's spaces, and founder of A Room for Frances.
Claudia is also an experienced mom of a 2.5 year old daughter, Margot. She has a lot to share! We are thrilled to feature Claudia as our "Fan of the Week".

1.Best advice to make your kids eat healthy / What is in their lunchbox?

Avoid sweets at any cost, but not completely. Margot gets in her lunchbox everyday a Happy Baby Fruit Juice (organic juice filled with vitamins, fiber and Omega-3s); a YoToddler yoghurt (also filled with vitamins and omega-3s); an organic fruity cereal bar, her main meal (I try to always have at least one vegetable in it - she LOVES Dr. Praegger's broccoli and spinach dinosaurs), a piece of organic fruit (bananas or blueberries or strawberries) and a small container with cookies.

2.Kid gear you couldn't have lived without: 

Hmmm, we don't really have or really ever needed "gear". Margot never needed a stroller (or could sit long enough in one). I had a carrier, that I used only a couple of times at home, so that I could do dishes. We had a hiking backpack but used it once and as soon as she started walking, we never used it because she LOVES to walk with us. Ah, we do have a "harness" that we have used a couple of times - we love how safe it keeps her and she doesn't mind at all because she can still run and walk without feeling "tied" to us. We bought it in England where these children harnesses are very normal - it looks like a real harness around the chest (none of the doggie backpack things) and we've heard some weird remarks from people here in the USA but we don't care -- it's about keeping a highly active toddler safe and us having peace of mind!

3.Mantra to keep calm in chaotic moments: 

"she's only a toddler, you can't reason with a toddler, she's only a toddler", repeat as needed...

4.Tricks to keep in shape: 

Chasing a 2.5 year old...

5.Best busy mom beauty trick: 

Put the make up on in the car!

6.One green guilt: 

None of my beauty products are "organic". I've tried several brands and I always end up with my usual daily cream and make-up brands... 

If you'd like to be featured as a "Fan of the Week", please e-mail us at EcoLogicalMom@ymail.com

LAST WEEKEND!! A Room for Frances Eco-Giveaway, US$300 Worth of E-Design

We've been discussing for weeks eco-friendly decoration and design with Claudia Kalur, from A Room for Frances. Now we are very excited to launch A Room for Frances Eco-Giveaway!

Claudia is giving our fans a Gift Certificate worth US$300 for an E-Design Package for a nursery or a kids' bedroom or playroom*.

How to Participate (so easy!): 

Invite 5 friends to become fans (a.k.a."Like") of EcoLogical Mom and A Room for Frances on Facebook starting September 4 through 19, 2010.

You will be entered after e-mailing the names of your 5 friends to EcoLogicalMom@ymail.com, and they become fans of both Facebook pages. The winner will be announced on September 20, 2010.

All participants and friends must be fans (a.k.a. "Like") of both Facebook pages until the end of the Eco-Giveaway.

Click here to become fan of Eco.Logical.Mom

Click here to become fan of A Room for Frances

*The e-Design package consists of a picture storyboard for the room you want to decorate, one floor plan to show furniture layout, and a detailed purchasing list of the items to complete your room, as well as two revisions, if needed. Click here  for more details.

Good luck!

Winners will be chosen at random.
 "Gift Certificate" is provided by A Room for Frances

Decor and Accessories

Continuing with our discussions with Claudia Kalur, from A Room for Frances, this week we are talking about Décor and Accessories. Claudia's ideas are great! Feel free to ask questions using the comments field her or our Facebook page. 


Décor and Accessories - Part VII

This is one of the most fun parts of doing a nursery - and certainly the easiest for you to be green! Design-wise I am not big on matchy-matchy themes but I do like a consistency throughout the décor of a room, be it a color, or set of colors, a pattern, a character, etc - I try to do that in every project because visually (even if you are not aware of it), it brings a room together. Once you have decided on what that element will be, just let yourself be creative. This is a great way to be eco-friendly and truly one of the things I love the most about creating children's spaces - this is the part where I get to go shopping for vintage items, re-use old furniture, or just simple make something myself. How? Let's see...

Mobiles can be a major element in a nursery and if you hang them from the ceiling you will have more surface and height to play with. I used in one of my projects decorative elements from a shop's window display that was being thrown out because it was from the last season's collection. Alternatively I had considered going to Michaels (or any other craft store) and buying materials to make one myself. You can buy little wood cutouts in the shape of animals, stars, etc, that you can paint, or buy felt and make little figures, stuff them with pillow insert filling and then hang them from the ceiling.

Following still my consistency element, for that project of mine, I cut the beautiful paper bags from that same shop and framed them in nice brown wooden frames. This is an easy, cheap and eco-friendly tip good for a lot of rooms - go through magazines and you will be surprised with how many images are worth framing. For another project, I bought 2 copies of a book of watercolors, kept one to read and cut my favorite watercolors out of the other one and framed them. If you look in second hand bookshops, you will find old children's books with beautiful prints, or even old posters.

Another great way to decorate walls is to display things that have meaning for you or your baby. You can buy a cork board and paint it and then pin items, photos and other mementos as time goes by. Soon enough, your baby will be making his or her own drawings so make sure you have room to display them. You can find old frames at vintage or consignment shops that you can re-use and add extra character to the room.

If your consistency element is a color or a pattern, a fabric garland can be a beautiful way to decorate the ceiling or the walls. Or just simply frame a swatch of two or three different fabrics that you like and will use, for instance in the bedding. I also like to incorporate a peg rack in most of my projects - it is very useful, it can be easily done and it can become a central element in the décor of your room.

If you do not have a lot of time and your budget allows, Etsy is a fantastic place to find beautiful decorative accessories, hand-made and safe for children. Just remember that the reason why these items are more expensive is that someone has taken the time and care to make something beautiful, not a machine or en masse, and that their time is worth money - just like yours is.

Click here to access last week's posting from Claudia, covering "Furniture" concepts.

Stay tuned for coming weeks when Claudia will be discussing more topics about eco-friendly children's rooms and nurseries.

Claudia Kalur is the founder of A Room for Frances, Nursery and Children's Room Design. She lives in rural Connecticut with her husband, Steven (an architect who specializes in green building systems), their 18-month-old daughter, Margot, and their doggy, Bayou.

A Room for Frances Eco-Giveaway: US$300 Worth of E-Design!

We've been discussing for weeks eco-friendly decoration and design with Claudia Kalur, from A Room for Frances. Now we are very excited to launch A Room for Frances Eco-Giveaway!

Claudia is giving our fans a Gift Certificate worth US$300 for an E-Design Package for a nursery or a kids' bedroom or playroom*.

How to Participate (so easy!): 

Invite 5 friends to become fans (a.k.a."Like") of EcoLogical Mom and A Room for Frances on Facebook starting September 4 through 19, 2010.

You will be entered after e-mailing the names of your 5 friends to EcoLogicalMom@ymail.com, and they become fans of both Facebook pages. The winner will be announced on September 20, 2010.

All participants and friends must be fans (a.k.a. "Like") of both Facebook pages until the end of the Eco-Giveaway.

Click here to become fan of Eco.Logical.Mom

Click here to become fan of A Room for Frances

*The e-Design package consists of a picture storyboard for the room you want to decorate, one floor plan to show furniture layout, and a detailed purchasing list of the items to complete your room, as well as two revisions, if needed. Click here  for more details.

Good luck!

Winners will be chosen at random.
 "Gift Certificate" is provided by A Room for Frances

Creating a Healthy Nursery for your Baby (and the Planet!) - Part VI

Continuing with our discussions with Claudia Kalur, a European interior decorator and founder of a Room for Frances, this week we are talking about Soft Furniture. Great tips and suggestions! Feel free to ask questions using the comments field here or on our Facebook page.
   

Soft Furnishings - Part VI

An upholstered chair will be, along with the crib, one of the biggest investments you will make when putting a nursery together for your baby. It costs just as much if not more than a crib but, if well chosen, it will also last a lot longer.
Regardless of the style you choose, more traditional or more modern, a rocker or a plain upholstered chair, there are a couple of things you should have in mind: firstly, make sure you sit on it and that it feels comfortable - remember, you will spend many hours on it, be it feeding or rocking your baby, or simply resting; secondly, pick a chair that has been built as closest to home as possible (the choices for USA-made furniture are endless thanks to the many factories in, for instance, North Carolina and California) and that is made from sustainably harvested wood; thirdly, prefer if possible a chair that is filled with latex foam; and lastly, that is covered in a natural material such as cotton or linen.
Thankfully, the options exist out there - and remember, you do not have to get a chair from a children's furniture place or catalogue (although Land of Nod has great options). There are companies like Cisco Brothers, Lee Industries and Mitchell Gold that make beautiful chairs that can go later in a living room, or even your teenage child's bedroom - and the look can always be changed with a slipcover (ever so useful and easier to clean!). The slipcover is also a great option if you are giving a new life to a chair that you already own!
The same principle of natural, preferably un-dyed or organic fabrics applies to window treatments, especially if you are using floor length curtains. Natural fabrics such as linen or cotton have a much more beautiful drape and are, of course, healthier.
Finally, and certainly no less relevant, try to purchase organic crib bedding. I always suggest to my design clients that they do not buy bedding sets, which usually come with either crib blankets or covers that you cannot use until the baby is much older. If you buy a set of 3 or 4 fitted sheets and one or two crib bumpers that match all these, you will save money and you will be able to alternate the look of the room. If you prefer to buy non-organic, then I would recommend that you buy 100% cotton bedding, wash it a couple of times before use and let it air. 

Click here to access last week's posting from Claudia, covering "Furniture" concepts.

Stay tuned for coming weeks when Claudia will be discussing more topics about eco-friendly children's rooms and nurseries.

Claudia Kalur is the founder of A Room for Frances, Nursery and Children's Room Design. She lives in rural Connecticut with her husband, Steven (an architect who specializes in green building systems), their 18-month-old daughter, Margot, and their doggy, Bayou.

Creating a Healthy Nursery for your Baby (and the Planet!) - Part III

We've been having very insightful discussions with Claudia Kalur, a European interior decorator and founder of A Room for Frances, about eco-friendly nurseries and children's rooms. This week Claudia is discussing Wall Treatments. You can ask questions using the comments field here or on our Facebook page.

Wall Treatments - Part III

Walls are the largest element in any room and, from a design stand point, there are several options that will help you define the look you want for your nursery or child's bedroom: painting, wallpapering, wood trims and wainscoting, for instance.

Let us start with the easiest - wall color: easy to wash and easy to change. There are now endless options on the market for Zero-VOC paints. Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that are known to have detrimental affects on our health and the environment - when we say that it "smells of fresh paint" - those are actually the VOCs that you're inhaling. We personally swear by Natura, by Benjamin Moore but there are plenty of other good brands on the market like Mythic Paint, the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company and Health Spec by Sherwin Williams, among many. If you insist on using normal paint, do your best to avoid going in the room for at least 24 hours and let is air out before using it - especially if you are pregnant!

Regular wallpaper is one of the least eco-friendly products you can ever have, but there are now several alternatives made of paper from sustainable forests and without the off-gassing elements. The only issue when it comes to little one's rooms is that is not washable - what makes a wallpaper washable is the very toxic PVC coating. However, if you are using wallpaper in a room for an older child (6 year old or older), there are great "colour me" options like the Tick-Tock, from Minimoderns, or the Frames Wallpaper, from Land of Nod - even if you use it on just one wall, it is great to release the artist in your child - and you! 

Wainscoting is also a beautiful option - it makes a room cozier and warmer, both in appearance and in temperature, and there is now the green alternative, High Definition Polymer System (HDPS) wainscoting. The downside once again is that those crayon marks are not that easy to clean or re-paint! 

Whatever you decide to do on the walls of your nursery, there certainly are now several environmentally friendly and beautiful options, whether you are aiming for a modern and more traditional look. 

Click here to access last week's posting from Claudia, covering "Flooring" concepts.

Stay tuned for coming weeks when Claudia will be discussing sustainable lighting  for children's rooms and nurseries.

Claudia Kalur is the founder of A Room for Frances, Nursery and Children's Room Design. She lives in rural Connecticut with her husband, Steven (an architect who specializes in green building systems), their 18-month-old daughter, Margot, and their doggy, Bayou.

Creating a Healthy Nursery for your Baby (and the Planet!) - Part II

Last week we introduced Claudia Kalur, a European interior decorator and founder of A Room for Frances. Claudia will be our guest writer for 8 Mondays, providing amazing suggestions and tips on designing eco-friendly nurseries and children's rooms.

Flooring - Part II

 Babies spend most of their early years either crawling on the floor, or simply playing on it so you should consider it carefully.
If you have the possibility to start from scratch, your best choice is hardwood or bamboo flooring with a natural, non-chemical, fruit derived finish, like tung oil - it is easy to clean, lasts forever, and honestly, the most attractive. Cork is always a wonderful option as well - very soft under crawling knees (and tumbles) and great for absorbing noise.
Tile floors are also environmentally friendly, long lasting and easily washable but they are, in my opinion, very hard and cold surfaces - unless you have (hydro) radiant heating. Both hardwood floors and tiles can be covered with area rugs, which will cozy up and soften the space.
Flooring is one of the largest surfaces in any space, so rugs make great decor statements! The best options are natural fibers such as untreated wool or cotton, jute, sisal, seagrass or hemp - and if you like the "shaggy" type, there are now bamboo-made versions! Vintage rugs are a very eco-friendly alternative as well and open up to great decorating possibilities. Finally, there are carpet tiles made from recycled materials that can be easily removed for regular cleaning.
Avoid commercial wall-to-wall carpeting at all cost - not only is it hard to clean but, as it is now common knowledge, it releases harmful chemicals and is a hot bed for mold and mites that are known to cause all sorts of allergies. It will also be more difficult (and expensive) to change later on. If you're set on a wall-to-wall option, there are manufacturers offering low VOC wall-to-wall carpeting which is great but it still requires constant vacuuming and shampooing.

Click here to access last week's posting from Claudia, covering "Long Term" concepts.

Stay tuned for coming weeks when Claudia will be discussing sustainable lighting and walls for children's rooms and nurseries.

Claudia Kalur is the founder of A Room for Frances, Nursery and Children's Room Design. She lives in rural Connecticut with her husband, Steven (an architect who specializes in green building systems), their 18-month-old daughter, Margot, and their doggy, Bayou.