More Chic Green Furniture
Posted
Friday, February 01, 2008 6:38 PM
While researching nontoxic furniture, both for my own home and for a magazine story I’m writing on the subject, I’ve discovered that furniture is one of the murkiest areas of eco-conscious living. I’ve interviewed some of the top experts in environmental health and even they say it’s hard to find out for sure whether a piece of furniture contains toxic flame retardants, stain guards, glues, etc. You can ask the salespeople, but it’s unlikely that they’ll know the answer, and if you get in touch with the company (such a hassle) it’s still tricky to reach somebody who has the info you’re looking for and will tell it to you straight.
I have discovered two furniture brands, Furnature and Q Collection, that make truly chemical-free, organic and sustainable pieces that look as stylish as almost anything out there. They’re not cheap, but it’s great to know that truly green pieces can be found, even if you have to pay through the nose for them. How gorgeous is the Emily sofa from Q Collection? It would work in both trad and contemporary décor schemes, and looks super comfortable without being bulky (such a tricky balance with sofas).
But on the budget side of things, many of the experts I’ve talked to say that Ikea is your best bet (Nestie amandag56 pointed this out on my last blog post too). They don’t use brominated flame retardants in their bedding or upholstered furniture (brominated flame retardants, also called PBDEs, are thought to be one of the most dangerous chemicals polluting the environment, indoor air included) and adhere to European standards (European countries tend to be stricter about which chemicals they’ll allow in consumer goods). Although their pieces are far from organic or chemical-free—most of the wood is particleboard and the stuffing is usually polyurethene foam—they’re probably a safer bet than furniture from a company whose eco intentions are a total mystery. And the Ekeskog sofa is as versatile as the Q Collection sofa if not quite as stunning. But at $799 you’d have money left over to dress it up with a recycled cashmere throw or an organic cotton slipcover.