Shop My Apartment – Non-Toxic, Vegan, Low Waste Living

Aug 09, 2020 • Updated Feb 20, 2023

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Shop My Apartment – Vegan & Non-Toxic Home Goods

This blogpost is still under construction 🙂

I recently moved into a new apartment, and with every new apartment comes an updated home tour! In case you missed it, I shared an apartment tour when I last moved into an apartment (roughly 2 years ago) as well. Take a peek at that original blogpost and you’ll see that this new apartment is definitely a change. I left behind a few things because they didn’t fit in my new studio apartment, which features an entire wall of floor to ceiling windows. On the plus side, however, it was a great opportunity to pick up a few new things!

The ethos of my New York City Nook (as I’m calling it on Instagram) is 100% vegan, primarily non-toxic and sustainable too. That means no animal byproducts found in furniture, consciously crafted furniture/bedding sans toxins and low waste, non-plastic where possible. You may be surprised to learn that furniture is often coated in harmful chemicals, to create a visual finish or stain. Similarly, some mattresses are made with really obscure chemicals, including fire retardants, formaldehyde, and benzene which have been linked to health issues like cancer and brain disorders (WTF, right?). The trouble with furniture is that it’s not like food. There isn’t always an ingredient list to look through, and unlike food, standards for transparency are lacking. On a sustainability note, when you’re opting for vegan alternative products, plastic often replaces material like leather and down fill. As such, I think it’s important to look for recycled material, or earth friendly alternative materials if you’re passionate about sustainability.

P.S. For a more sustainable home, consider upcycling, browsing Facebook marketplace for secondhand items and shopping on sites like OfferUp and Craigslist to extend the lifecycle of home goods. Of course, with the pandemic in mind, it’s important that you’re able to safely sanitize items and pick up contactless. At this time, I decided to avoid secondhand bedding products and products with soft surfaces (like upholstered items, couches, etc.), but use your judgment and do what feels safe to you.

Below, you’ll find links to furniture, home goods, decor and more. If I’m unable to find a direct link, I’ll include similar products I can find. Stay tuned for a full YouTube video tour of the space. Oh, and before we move on, here’s the empty apartment tour video I shared! It’s kind of fun to compare the before and after, don’t you think? 😉

Bedroom

Bedframe – I have the same Mälm Bedframe as in my last apartment and one of my favourite things about it is that you can add underbed drawers which makes for sneaky extra storage.

Mattress – My mattress is from Avocado, it’s vegan, organic, carbon neutral and the company is a B Corp. It’s comfy and I have nothing bad to say about it!

Comforter – My recommendation for a great sustainable and down-free comforter comes from Buffy. I don’t currently own their comforter because I have a synthetic fill comforter secondhand from my grandma which is doing just fine. With that said, Buffy is top of my list whenever I next need to upgrade, and my friend Kat, who owns one, has always recommended it to me with rave reviews.

Bedding – The sheets I like are made with sustainable materials like tencel and hemp. My all time favourite has to be tencel for it’s silky (but silk-free!) feel. West Elm’s Tencel Sheet Set is not only sustainably sourced but also fair trade. Other great options include Ettitude Lyocell Sheets which also come in a gorgeous light pink.

Pillows – Currently, I own Parachute Home’s down alternative pillows, which were gifted to me several years ago. Buffy, mentioned earlier, makes an amazing Cloud Pillow if you’re looking for a more sustainable option. As for my throw pillows, the majority of them were gifts or college-era purchases from Urban Outfitters. While they’re not sustainable, I haven’t let go of them yet, but only use them decoratively and pop them on my bedside bench when I’m actually sleeping. I always get questions about where they’re from, so I’m linking similar pillows below. Also, this West Elm pillow is a great sustainable and fair trade option, as well as The Citizenry Throw Pillows.

Bedside tables – My two bedside tables came with me from the old apartment. I keep one bedside and the other next to my kitchen island as extra storage. They were actually from the kids section at target and are no longer available but I found similar styles at Wayfair / Target / Wayfair.

Non-toxic candles – To ensure candles are safe for the home, opt for non-toxic candles. Everything from the wax, to wick and fragrance used can emit toxic fumes in the home once burning. Look for a cotton or wood wick, clean burning soy or coconut wax (which will also ensure your candle is vegan), and transparency on “fragrance”. Ideally, essential oil scented candles are the safest option in my opinion, or unscented. My go to’s are P.F. Candle Co and Sundays Studio Candles.

Woven baskets – For decorative storage, I really love woven baskets. The ones I currently have are all from Amazon, and I love using them as plastic storage bin alternatives. I use it for laundry, extra throw blankets and even workout equipment and yoga mats.

Throw blankets – I keep a weighted blanket on the bed as a decorative element but I also sleep with it every night! I used to have a plain white weighted blanket, however I recently replaced it with a Bearaby blanket which is a sustainable, woven alternative. It’s beautiful and functional–the best kind of decor IMO. I also have an older throw blanket which is still available at Urban Outfitters (again, not sustainably made, but I know I’ll get questions!).

Plants and stands – Most of my plants are from The Sill. I purchased mine in person, however they do offer online orders! They stock some really beautiful plant holders and stands, but you can also purchase stools from IKEA. I use a short one as a makeshift plant stand.

Bench – At the end of my bed I have a small bench. It’s the IKEA Simple Birch Bench and it adds a little something to the bedroom cove and also doubles as a great bench for home workouts. No seriously, I use it like a gym bench and it’s sturdy enough!

Living

Mirror – I have one mirror in my current apartment (RIP to my round pink mirror in my last apartment). It’s a large standing mirror with a rose gold rim. I wasn’t able to find it anymore, but here aresome similar options available on Wayfair / West Elm.

Coffee table – I wanted a scandi-style white top, wood/gold legged table for my previous apartment and it has stuck with me since! Similar tables available on Wayfair / AllModern.

Chairs – To match the table, I have white/wood legged chairs. Similar styles available at Home Depot / World Market. At this moment I have no legitimate reason to get new chairs, but I heavily considered these pink chairs so I’m including them anyways for my fellow pink lovers.

Entryway rack – Ah! Easily one of my favourite random corners of the apartment. I use this Open Spaces entryway rack as a shoe rack, handbag rack, storage shelf for my masks, and I think it’s a really beautiful way to keep organized.

Kitchen

Kitchen Island – As you may have seen on Instagram, I built a kitchen island and this was something that completely upgraded my studio. I use it as an extension of my kitchen counter space, love the extra storage shelves and also use it as a standing desk, or breakfast table. I purchased this IKEA Kitchen Island and it was one of the more affordable options (kitchen islands are not cheap, I learned).

Bar Stools – To fit the island I needed high bar stools, and I picked up these Home Depot Bar Stools. They ended up being the perfect height for the island.

Kitchen Rug – I love this Ruggable kitchen runner because it keeps the floor from becoming slippery with inevitable sink oversplash. It’s sustainable and also machine washable!

Food Storage Containers – IKEA Glass Containers / Orez / W&P Design / Mason Jars / Recycled Material Non-Rust Lids

Water filter + stand – I use a Walter water filter, which utilizes a berkey filter. It’s a beautiful handmade ceramic alternative that looks great in the kitchen and eliminates the need to purchase plastic water bottles. Recently I picked up a wooden water stand and it’s not a perfect fit so I wouldn’t recommend it, but it would perfectly fit a berkey.

Random countertop items – Vitamix Blender / SMEG Milk Frother / Marble Utensil Holder / Sodastream