Environmental consciousness informs many purchase decisions in today’s world and in this article, we are looking at how this affects your home furniture. Furniture is something that will stay in your home for a long time but you have to think about its lifetime when you select it.
It is very important to select the right materials for indoor furniture & homewares to prioritise sustainability. You can choose furniture that is made from renewable sources such as reclaimed wood and bamboo. There are also certified sustainable hardwoods. Check whether the materials for the furniture are harvested in an eco-friendly way. Your purchase should not contribute to deforestation or destruction of local biodiversity. You need to look for furniture manufacturers that prioritise environmental responsibility and ensure that they don’t do any harm to the ecosystems. As an alternative to buying new furniture, you can consider using those that are recycled or upcycled. This will reduce the need for new resources and you will be able to give new life to existing materials. This will have significant impact on reducing waste. You will be able to have a unique piece of furniture when you select upcycled options and this can add a lot of charm to your home as well.
Conventional furniture will use paints,
Adhesives and finishes that emit harmful chemicals and negatively affect indoor air. This will contribute to indoor air pollution. Look for furniture that has low-toxicity finishes. You can select those with natural or water based finishes. There are also certain certifications that will indicate that a certain finish has low chemical emissions. If you are looking for wooden furniture you need to check whether the timber for them is sourced from responsibly managed forests. There are strict environment standards that these manufacturers will need to meet. You can learn more about this by visiting the official websites of these stores and manufacturers so that you can make an informed choice. Look for designs that are durable. When you choose a piece of furniture that is constructed properly with the quality materials, you will be able to use them for a long time without replacing them. You can also choose classic styles for furniture as you don’t need to get something every time it goes out of trend.
Another option you can consider is purchasing vintage or second-hand furniture.
You can select pre-owned pieces so that you can extend the lifecycle of the furniture. When choosing a furniture brand, you need to check whether they are transparent about their supply chain such as sourcing, manufacturing processes, shipping etc. They will be able to provide you with information that will back up their sustainability values. Multi-functional furniture is a great way to maximise your space and you will not need to purchase many pieces as well. You can select a furniture item that have a dual purpose such as a coffee table with in-built storage or a sofa bed so that you can use resources more efficiently.
