The First Girls' Eco-Friendly Bedrooms

Jan. 21, 2009 — -- As the Obamas prepare to move into the White House, President-elect Barack Obama likely has his mind on the big decisions he'll have to make when he begins his presidency. But his daughters may have their mind on something else all together: brand new bedrooms at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

National Geographic's Green Guide has a few suggestions for how the girls can decorate their rooms in style while keeping the environment in mind.

For more information on the Green Guide, click here.

Product: Ikea Minnen Bed Frame
Price: $149.00
Green Points: This bed frame is made from stainless steel, unlike most, which use particleboard, a formaldehyde emitter. And the frame does not require any glue.
Click here for more information.

Product: IKEA Sultan Heidal mattress
Price: $499
Green Points: This mattress uses "eco-cotton," which is grown without pesticides or herbicides and is also bleached without chlorine. The mattress also uses a flame-retardant that Ikea said is safer for both the sleeper and the environment than most other mattresses.
Click here for more information.

Product: Duvet Covers from Pottery Barn Kids (sending two styles)
Price: Amy Romantic Floral Duvet Cover-$149, standard sham $34, Happy Critters Duvet Cover $129, standard sham $29
Green Points: Both of these covers are 100 percent cotton for the sleeper's comfort.
Click here for more information on the Happy Critters duvet cover and here for the Floral duvet cover from Pottery Barn Kids.

Product: Sheets by the Company Store
Price: $24-$29, sets sold separately
Green Points: The bamboo in the Company Store's bamboo and cotton 300-thread count bedding works as a natural antibacterial. The Organic Cotten Sateen bedding is 100 percent certified organic cotton. The bedding has been dyed and finished according to strict Oeko-Tex standards, meaning the fabrics are free of any chemical residues or vapors used during the dying and finishing processes.
Click here for more information.

Product: Lucia Organic Bedding from Gaiam
Price: $78-$168
Green Points: Straight from a mill in Portugal, the Lucia Organic Bedding is 100 percent organic cotton weaved into a 300-thread count sateen fabric. Chlorine-free bleaching cuts down on air and water pollution and fabrics are dyed with "low eco-impact" dyes.
Click here for more information.

Product: Throw Pillows by K Studio
Price: $98-$124, varies
Green Point: These throw pillows come from K Studio's growing workshop in Grand Rapids, Mich., where each product is managed from start to finish. The process starts wth fabric made from sustainable materials such as hemp, organic cotton and recycled wool.
Click here for more information.

Green Point: "Pretty-in-Pink" Benjamin Moore-suggested colors for the Obama daughters from the eco-friendly Natura line. For Malia, a nice Rhododendron and for Sasha, Pink Pansy. The Natura line is part of Benjamin Moore's "Green Promise" to assure their "environmental-friendly coatings not only meet but often exceed the strictest industry standards."

Click here for more information.

Product: Stuffed Owl by VivaTerra
Price: $67
Green Point: Stuffed Owls by VivaTerra are hand-knitted by women in rural Kenya and dyed by plants grown in women's gardens. The money the women earn from the owls go to buy glasses for those among them with eye problems.
Click here for more information.

Product: Horizon Night Light
Price: $33
Green Point: This Night light is created entirely from fused glass recycled from bottles and containers.
Click here for more information.

Product: Map Letters
Price: $3/letter
Green Point: Alphabet letters made from re-used old maps to spell out Sasha and Malia's names.
Click here for more information.

Product: Assorted beaded animals, penguins, pictures by Monkeybiz
Price: $25-$135 (depending on size of the piece)
Green Point: Monkeybiz focuses on women's economic empowerment in South Africa. The project has 450 bead artists, many of whom provide for their whole family. All the profits from the sales of artwork are reinvested into community services, including an HIV wellness clinic, weekly soup kitchens, yoga, drama and choir groups, as well as a burial fund for artists and their families.
Click here for more information.

Product: Recycled Record Wall Hangings
Green Point: Used records from garage and yard sales can be used to decorate walls. Adding some non-toxic paint and stencils can bring some color and style into the room.

Product: Fairtrade Handmade Blue Glass Tea Light
Price: $20
Green Point: These lights have been handmade and mouth-blown from glass in India.
Click here for more information.

Product: Recycled Powerpuff Girls Game Board Journal
Price: $17
Green Point: The journal is made from a recycled game board that's been hand-cut and bound. The paper in the journal is acid free and 30 percent recycled.
Click here for more information.

Product: Pretty in Pink rug by Flor
Price: $329.99 for 8x10 ft. Varies in price depending on the size.
Green Point: The carpet tiles in the rug are held together by stickers, rather than formaldehyde-emitting glues. FLOR also recycles used and stained products.
Click here for more information.

Price: $129

Green Point: The shelf is made from real bamboo which is a renewable and sustainable resource.

Click here for more information.

Product: Flip Flop Bins 14"L x 23"W x 14"H and 11.5"L x 18.5"W x 11.5"H
Price: $135 (set of 2)
Green Point: These bins are made from leftover flip-flop material and are nearly indestructable.
Click here for more information.

Product: Rolled Magazine Storage Crate by VivaTerra
Price: $48
Green Point: In the Rolled Magazine Storage Crate, magazines have been repurposed to create vibrant storage crates.
Click here for more information.

Product: Newsprint Bins by the Container Store
Price: $9.99-$19.99 come in three sizes (less pricey option than the above crate/bins)
Green Point: The bins have been woven from hand-rolled, 100 percent repurposed newspapers.
Click here for more information.

Product: Dell's Studio Hybrid Computer
Price: $499
Green Point: Dell's Studio Hybrid Computer is Epeat Gold rated, the highest "green" rating that exists for electronics. The power-efficient desktop was made without materials like lead, mercury and dangerous flame retardants. Dell also has a take-back program which for recycling in the U.S.
Click here for more information.

Product: The Rice & Feed Laundry Bag by VivaTerra
Price: $33
Green Point: These bags are hand crafted by disabled and disadvantaged villagers in Cambodia and are made from durable fabric used in authentic feed and rice bags.
Click here for more information.