Today is the final part of our guide to safe materials. Here are the topics we've already discussed:
Next up are finishing materials.
Paint for Walls and Ceilings
Choose water-based emulsion paint for interior finishing. Ideally, the can should state that the paint is suitable for children's rooms — this is the best option if you can find it.
Ceilings also get painted. And I don't recommend making them stark white. In my projects, I never do that — I always choose the second shade after white: it reflects light just as well but without the harsh, dazzling effect on the eyes. So, choose the second or even third tone after white in the palette.
Some specific examples: English paint Little Greene has a beautiful palette, is safe for children, and can even be used to paint toys. And Russian Dominanta also has a beautiful palette; their paints can cover not only walls but also children's furniture.
A common question is about suspended ceilings. I don't recommend them — almost all of them are synthetic. The only acceptable option, if you really want one, is suspended plasterboard (GKL): it's plastered and painted, and it's acceptable for a child's room.
Walls
In the article about dangerous materials, I already mentioned vinyl wallpapers — and I'll repeat: don't use them. There's a huge selection, and everyone likes that they're washable and can be drawn on. But they're not the best material for a child's room: vinyl can release harmful substances over time, and a child breathes this in their room every day. Salespeople will assure you that the wallpaper is paper-backed and completely safe, but for health reasons, it's better to choose paper wallpaper or paint.
You can also consider wall panels — but make sure they are paper-backed. I sometimes use these in my projects.
A good alternative is liquid wallpaper. It consists of natural components: cellulose, cotton or silk fibers, an adhesive based on a safe (usually natural or water-based) composition, and decorative additives. Liquid wallpaper has no odor, does not release harmful substances, and provides good sound and thermal insulation. The only thing is that it cannot get wet.
And if you live in a hot country, you can tile up to the middle of the wall (about 1.1 m high): a child can even draw on it, and everything washes off easily. The main thing is not to turn the child's room into something resembling a bathroom.
Floor
In hot countries, the floor can also be made of tiles, but always with rugs. In temperate and northern regions, natural wooden floors with cotton rugs, which we've already discussed.
For small children, I really like natural cork, especially in the form of tiles. It's good because it's soft to the touch: when toddlers crawl, learn to walk, and fall, cork doesn't cause the same pain as other coverings. And if the child soils the floor, one tile can simply be removed and replaced with a new one — the main thing is to buy a few extra. Cork is suitable for preschool children and can be used up to about 12 years old. When the time comes, parquet layers will remove it and lay parquet on the same base.
If cork is not suitable — choose parquet, but definitely with rugs.
There is also a relatively new alternative — self-leveling linoleum floors (not to be confused with regular linoleum!). Such a floor is warm, seamless, adheres well to the base, and is also somewhat soft. There are many colors; similar floors are often made in gyms.
By the way, regular linoleum is not recommended for children's rooms: moisture can accumulate under it, like in a greenhouse, and bacteria can develop. But self-leveling linoleum, due to its tight adhesion to the floor, does not leave such a space — and is therefore safer.
I hope this guide to safe materials has been useful to you, and now you can more accurately choose the right materials for your children's rooms.
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