Driving down 19th Street in the Heights, you'll see a familiar storefront with a bit of a facade change about it.
Welcome to New Living Bedroom, recently rebranded with a streamlined vision of offering everything needed for a healthy good night's sleep. You'll find organic mattresses, bedding essentials, sustainable nursery goods and clean air and water filtration systems — all at competitive prices for customers desiring chemical-free home environments.
"I have foodie friends who won't eat anything if it's not from the farmers market. Yet, they've never heard of an organic mattress."
The Green Painter — initially established on Kirby Drive and expanded to 19th Street to give Houstonians nontoxic paints and stains choices — has been replaced by this more focused endeavor.
“Three years ago, when we opened New Living on Kirby, we were the only place in Houston selling no-VOC nontoxic paint,” says Jeff Kaplan, New Living founder. "As the market has evolved, large national paint store chains started carrying nontoxic paint options. And this is a good thing.
“Our goal now with New Living Bedroom is to make a bigger impact by simplifying our mission."
New Living is one of the country's first members of B-Corporation, an organization of companies dedicated to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.
New Living Bedroom
Kaplan likes to make an analogy of New Living Bedroom and the healthy food-conscious age. "I have foodie friends who won't eat anything if it's not from the farmers market," he says. "Yet, they've never heard of an organic mattress.
"We're like the Whole Foods movement 30 years ago, starting with a small organic-goods store. That model shifted us to the green movement, and now with New Living Bedroom, we're interpreting that movement for the home — reducing and hopefully eradicating indoor pollution."
Kaplan says most of his company's customers are scientists and physicians who are aware of the chemicals used by large mattress manufacturers in their products. Another portion of his clientele consists of people with health-related issues, such as allergies and asthma and even patients receiving chemotherapy treatments. Anyone visiting New Living Bedroom with a medical referral is granted a tax-exempt status on a purchase at the Heights store.
And then there are the expecting mothers and fathers, who have done the research on what's best for their newborns — and any future children — and decided upon the organic approach as a better alternative to the traditional crib mattresses.
Prices for organic mattresses and bedding materials have dropped tremendously in the past few years, Kaplan notes, making chemical-free bedrooms an affordable investment. For example, a set of twin mattresses from one of New Living Bedroom's major suppliers, OMI, starts at $600 and comes with a certificate guaranteeing purity.
Made at New Living
The Green Painter on Kirby is making a directional shift, too. Now called Made at New Living, the company highlights artisans making and selling sustainable furnishings for the home. Furniture builders are are on hand to design and construct custom pieces using reclaimed woods and non-toxic finishes and stains.
"We'll still have paint chips at New Living Bedroom and at Made at New Living, Kaplan says, "but all the mixing will be done at the store on Kirby."
Still offered at the Kirby store are the "finishing school" workshops at which people bring in a piece of their own furniture for a fresh — and most importantly, nontoxic — update. Interested residents may call Made at New Living at 713-521-1921 to schedule an appointment.
"Our community needs a trusted whole home hub that allows people to establish healthier homes and live better," Kaplan says. "We will continue doing this until everyone has access to healthy home."
New Living on 19th Street in the Heights is now New Living Bedroom.
