Touring a Designer Showhouse and Baby's Bathroom

Project: Babyproofing the House, Episode 1, Part 3



Bob is in Melrose, MA, to update a 100-year-old home in preparation for a new baby.  Since home building and remodeling can introduce hazards into the home, Bob is looking at how to reduce unwanted toxins and select healthy alternatives.  He visits the American Lung Association’s designer showhouse in West Palm Beach, FL, where EcoDecor’s Bernadette Upton reviews healthy choices like using no-VOC paints, choosing natural, washable throw rugs instead of synthetic wall-to-wall carpeting, buying natural bedding and mattresses, avoiding treated fabrics, purchasing formaldehyde-free furniture, using non-vinyl wall treatments, and airing wallpaper before applying non-toxic glues.  Back in Melrose, Bob talks with homeowner Nick Beasley about the decision to purchase a two-family home and use the upper two floors for their primary residence.  Maggie Beasley shows Bob the main living areas, the kitchen they hope to safety proof, the upstairs bedrooms that need insulation and renovating, and the original beadboard room that will become a child's bathroom.  Nick shows Bob the demolition and new partition wall for the master bath.  Joe Arrigo from Resource Development Partners explains the challenges of insulating an old house and how loose-fill fiberglass insulation is blown in to achieve an R-value of 4.25 per inch or R-30 overall.

 

Part 1: Remodeling Before Baby and Insulating the House
Part 2: Learning How to Set Up a Healthy and Safe Room for Baby
Part 3: Touring a Designer Showhouse and Baby's Bathroom
In West Palm Beach, FL, the American Lung Association has sponsored a designer showhouse that highlights a healthy home. Bob tours the rooms in the house, each designed by selected interior designers and artists. Building or renovating a house can be an unhealthy proposition. Asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems can often be attributed to manmade chemicals in the home. Bob talks with Bernadette Upton of EcoDecor about her involvement with the American Lung Association's Baby's Breath program and how their key prescriptions for healthy indoor air were applied in the showhouse. They discuss the healthy features of the baby's bathroom, including the use of no VOC (volatile organic compound) paints in the colorful mural. Only all-natural products are used in the baby's space (ceramic tile, marble, natural wood, cotton) to maintain the quality of the air young lungs will breathe.
In Melrose, MA, Bob Vila helps a young couple expecting their first child to prepare their home. The focus is on creating a safe place with a strong emphasis on indoor air quality and a healthy living environment. Bob reviews child safety products with industry specialists, as they outfit the home from top to bottom in preparation for the new baby.

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