02 Jul Natural Is …
Today’s natural interior design aesthetic includes many flooring products, from natural-fiber rugs to luxury vinyl tile. For this customer, natural means chemical-free wool.
Elena Page, M.D., knew what she would do when it was time to replace her carpet. An occupational and environmental medicine physician in Cincinnati, OH., Page has a lot of experience in how chemicals can affect indoor-air quality.
All carpets from major manufacturers these days have CRI Green Label Plus Indoor-Air Quality certification, ensuring that the products meet safety limits for Volatile Organic Compound (VOC ) emissions set by the state of California. But that wasn’t enough for Page.
“I wanted to be sure that whatever I put in my home was not an emitter of VOCs,” she says. “I also care very much about what the workers are exposed to in making the carpet, and synthetic carpets expose them to a variety of harmful substances, some of which are carcinogens.”
Page selected a carpet, which is made of wool using no dyes, mothproofing or chemicals. The backings are primarily jute. It was used to replace old carpet in her four upstairs bedrooms and on her stairs and landing. With leftover remnants, she made area rugs to accent the hardwood flooring on her first floor.
Under the carpet is a natural wool pad, again made of natural wool and no chemicals. Wool fibers are stronger than any synthetic fiber, so this carpet is long-lasting. And there were no new-carpet chemical odors when the carpet was being installed, Page says.
For Page, the choice of this brand went beyond just wanting a healthy home.
“Wool is completely renewable and natural,” she says “It wears well, and looks beautiful. The bottom line is that I want a healthy home, healthy workers, and a healthy planet.” ©
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