Discover Stylish Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Furniture
Updated: March 3rd, 2020
I’d like to believe that it’s an exciting moment for sleek, stylish, and exceptionally designed eco-friendly and sustainable furniture. Given how rapidly eco-friendly fashion, footwear, and accessories brands are gaining mainstream followings (see Summersalt, Reformation, Allbirds, and Rothy’s), one would hope that furniture brands would be keeping up the sustainable pace.
After all, our sofas are mostly stuffed with petroleum-derived cushions. Our dressers and are all-too-often made of illegally harvested wood. Much of modernism is built on petroleum-derived plastic. In the age of climate change, the furniture industry is ripe for sustainability disruption.
So, is a sustainability revolution disrupting the furniture industry? The best answer I can offer is: not yet.
Yes, there are upstart and longstanding furniture brands demonstrating how to merge design and sustainability (I highlight them below). And a number of major furniture retailers are committed to real, concerted action on the environment. You can shop wide selections of sustainable furniture at West Elm, Room & Board, Crate & Barrel, and Restoration Hardware.
Above: Room & Board Reclaimed Shelves
And Ikea, yes that Ikea, today sources 80% of its wood from recycled or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified sources. At some point this year, Ikea plans to reach 100% sustainable sourcing for all of its wood. This is an incredible milestone.
Above: Ikea Odger Chair made of renewable wood and recycled plastic
But having launched my first eco-friendly furniture company back in 2004 (Vivavi) and having long been a fan and champion of well-made sustainable products, my sense is that, industry-wide, sustainable furniture practices are advancing slowly despite the urgent need to transform almost every aspect of the furniture industry.
Fifteen years ago, virtually out of nowhere, sustainable furniture burst on the scene. It wasn’t just in the obvious locations you’d expect to find it like New York City (with brands like Brave Space Design, Scrapile, and Q Collection), Seattle (Greener Lifestyles), Portland (Material Furniture), and San Francisco (Rhubarb Decor and Modern Bamboo). There were brands like Acronym in Kansas City, and PIE in Miami. And there were sustainable design veterans like Peter Danko and John Wiggers whose designs rapidly gained a wider following.
Above: Sundance Channel profiled Vivavi in 2008
It felt like something in the zeitgeist had shifted. Designers solve problems. And many designers started realizing that their good-looking products were actually creating problems – like perpetuating our dependence on fossil fuels, destroying forests, and polluting the air we breathe.
Awareness was growing that design and sustainability could and should go hand-in-hand.
Above: Contemporary bamboo furniture from Modern Bamboo, which was based in San Francisco.
The Great Recession put most of those in the sustainable furniture vanguard a decade ago out of business (Vivavi included).
Today, I see signs of revival, not revolution. Intrepid designers and entrepreneurs are again tackling the furniture industry’s planetary impact. Some sustainable furniture brands made it through the lean years of the recession and are thriving. Others are joining their ranks and pointing towards a future that is designed to increase our pleasure and comfort while decreasing our impact on the planet.
As we imagine a future that measures up to the climate change challenge and that operates in harmony with nature, the eco-friendly furniture brands listed here can show us how to live delightfully well in a resource-constrained world.
Stylish Sustainable Furniture Brands
1. WEHLERS
Wehlers makes sleek modern furniture using recycled and other sustainable materials. The R.U.M. chair (pictured above) is made entirely of recycled ocean plastic (from discarded fishnets) and recycled steel. A Danish company, Wehlers produces products in the tradition of minimalist Scandinavian design and strives to reduced its environmental footprint wherever possible.
Explore: Wehlers
Prices: Upscale
2. Simbly
Simbly’s focus is on modern, minimalist, sustainable furniture that fits your life. The contemporary dining table (shown above) is a flat-pack beauty, made of FSC certified sustainable wood and a non-toxic, food-grade finish. Like all Simbly products, it’s designed for rapid assembly and dis-assembly (no nails or screws necessary). Simbly’s sleek, streamlined designs also come at streamlined prices; the company ships directly to customers, cutting out the middleman, and delivering exceptional value for expert the level of craftsmanship. All products are manufactured at a family-owned factory near Asheville, North Carolina.
Note: I know a lot about Simbly because I founded the company in 2019. This is my second sustainable furniture company.
Explore: Simbly
Prices: Accessible
3. loll designs
Nothing about Loll’s minimalist modern aesthetic gives away that its waterproof outdoor furniture is made of 100% recycled materials. The main source of its material is recycled single-use milk jugs. In fact, since its founding in 2005, Loll has recycled over 120 million jugs into sleek, distinctive furniture with a colorful modern flair. Find everything you need to furnish your outdoor space in sustainable style.
Explore: Loll Designs
Prices: Upscale
What makes furniture sustainable?
1. Materials – the most important criteria: look for sustainably harvested wood and the FSC certification; recycled, reclaimed, and reused materials; and rapidly renewable materials
2. Non-toxic – adhesives and finishes that consider the health of workers, consumers, and the planet
3. Quality – furniture that stands the test of time
4. Manufacturing practices – operations that use clean energy and minimize energy and waste
5. Recyclability – components that are easily dismantled and recycled at the end of a product’s useful life
4. orange 22 modern
Orange 22 Modern makes contemporary furniture that’s sleek, bright, and futuristic. Manufactured in Austin, TX, the Botanist collection (shown above) of benches and tables are made of recycled aluminum. If I were a soda can, I would love to return as one of them in my next life. Made in partnership with a roster of talented designers, each designer selects a charity or foundation and Orange 22 Modern makes a donation with each sale that matches the designer’s royalties.
Explore: Orange 22 Modern
Prices: Upscale
5. Medley home
Founded by two brothers in Los Angeles who are sustainable furniture veterans, Medley Home offers contemporary furniture options for every room in your home. The sectional (shown above) is made with an FSC certified wood frame and Zero VOC adhesives. Customers can also choose organic natural latex to fill the frame, arms, and seat cushions. Medley Home will wrap the latex in wool and also use wool as the fill for the back pillows. Organic cotton is used for internal linings. It’s pretty much the most sustainable couch you can order to merge contemporary design with deep respect for nature.
Explore: Medley Home
Prices: Upscale
6. Iannone design
Michael Iannone’s namesake furniture brand has been crafting unique, sustainably designed furniture for nearly twenty years. Iannone Design incorporates a wide array of eco-friendly materials into its furniture including FSC certified plywood, reclaimed wood, bamboo, and cork. The dresser (shown above) utilizes a material called kirei that’s made from the left-over, post-harvest stalks of the sorghum plant. All Iannone Design products are made in the USA using low VOC finishes to support healthy indoor air quality.
Explore: Iannone Design
Prices: Upscale
7. thuma
The growing bed-in-a-box trend is renewing our attention on furnishing our bedrooms in sustainable style. Thuma’s flat-pack, impeccably designed bed offers a paired down, natural and streamlined aesthetic. It’s made in Vietnam of repurposed rubberwood from trees that have reached the end of their useful life producing natural latex and would otherwise be discarded. It assembles using Japanese joinery techniques that eliminate the need for any tools.
Explore: Thuma
Prices: Accessbile
8. mater
Based in Copenhagen, Mater was founded in 2006 as a conscious and ethical brand with sustainability embedded in the company’s DNA. For example, the ocean chair and table (shown above) are made largely of recycled ocean plastic. The only recycling facility in the world for discarded fishnets is in Denmark, so Mater sought an opportunity to transform this material into stunning, timeless designs that epitomize the role that design can play in solving our most pressing environmental challenges.
Explore: Mater (shop online at 2Modern)
Prices: Accessible to Upscale
9. emeco
Emeco’s design and manufacturing pedigree dates back to WWII when the company made chairs for the US Navy. Today, Emeco is a sustainability innovation powerhouse, utilizing recycled and reclaimed materials for its distinctly modern and minimalist chairs, stools, and tables that are made in Pennsylvania. The Broom Chair (shown above) is made of a new composite material constructed from 75% reclaimed plastic; 15% reclaimed wood fiber; and 10% glass fiber.
Explore: Emeco (shop online at Made Trade and Design within Reach)
Prices: Accessible to Upscale
10. Copeland furniture
Located in Bradford, Vermont, Copeland Furniture’s well-designed sustainable furniture is influenced by the Arts & Crafts, Mission, Shaker, and Scandinavian movements. Since the 1970s, Copeland has sourced the timber for its hardwood furniture from the American Northern Forest, within 500 miles of its state-of-the-art factory, and has taken significant steps to ensure the company adheres to sustainable forestry practices. In 2016, Copeland installed a 3-acre solar farm that enables two-thirds of the factory’s power to be drawn from on-site renewable energy.
Explore: Copeland Furniture (shop online at 2modern)
Prices: Upscale to Luxury
11. EcoBirdy
ecoBirdy uses a proprietary process to recycle plastic waste into its high-quality, and easy-to-clean furniture for kids. Based in Belgium, all ecoBirdy furniture production occurs in Europe. ecoBirdy intentionally produces furniture that reveals the recycled content to make a colorful, environmentally conscious statement. The result is bright, playful, and educational.
Explore: ecoBirdy (shop online at the Cooper Hewitt museum store)
Prices: Accessbile
12. Studio Moe
Andrew Moe has been making stunning, handcrafted sustainable furniture for two decades. His pieces are noted for their beveled edges, tapered legs, and notched joinery. Made to heirloom quality standards, Studio Moe uses sustainably harvested or urban salvaged American hardwoods in all of its furniture.
Explore: Studio Moe
Prices: Upscale
13. Model No.
Model No. is a future-forward sustainable furniture company that combines 3-D printing technology with eco-friendly materials. With its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Oakland, CA, Model No.’s furniture products are printed using a bio-based eco-resin derived from substances like post-feedstock corn and cassava plant starches (e.g. tapioca). Tops, bottoms, and sides are made of FSC certified wood. Everything is customizable. Choose your dimensions, shapes, and colors across a wide assortment of furniture and furnishings.
Explore: Model No.
Prices: Upscale
14. Skagerak
Skagerak is a Danish design company with a long commitment to quality, Scandinavian design. Founded in 1976, Skagerak has partnered with an incredible roster of designers to create its collections of indoor and outdoor furniture as well as its delightful, minimalist home furnishings and accessories. In 2016, Skagerak became a B Corporation, further formalizing its commitment to sustainability. 71% of Skagerak’s wood in its production is FSC certified. The company is aiming for 100% use of FSC certified wood by 2025.
Explore: Skagerak (shop online at Finnish Design Shop)
Prices: Upscale
15. Nikari
Nikari is a Finnish furniture company with a unique, contemporary aesthetic combining modern design with Finnish craftsmanship. Founded in 1967, Nikari got its start by working with globally renowned Finnish designers such as Alvar Aalto and Kaj Franck. Wood is the focal point of Nikari’s furniture, and the company goes to great lengths to ensure it’s sourced and utilized as sustainably as possible. Nikari’s production studio is powered by 100% renewable energy thanks to the hydropower plant located right next door.
Explore: Nikari (shop online at Finnish Design Shop)
Prices: Upscale
on the horizon
Word on the street is that a company called Noho Move is about to release this chair that’s made of recycled plastic from waste retrieved from the ocean.
I’ll update this page as this furniture company and more like it launch their ventures to accelerate our transformation to a beautifully designed, clean economy.
Explore: Noho Move
Special Thanks To: This post is sponsored by Lazy Environmentalist, your go-to resource for stylish and well-designed products that elevate your sustainable lifestyle and minimize your impact. Lazy Environmentalist introduces you to cutting-edge sustainable brands and visionary designers who believe style and sustainability can go hand-in-hand.
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