Decorating your house with recycled furniture would make your home look just as beautiful as when you would use new furniture. In fact, when you use vintage, antique and furniture made out of sustainable materials, your home looks elegant and unique, and you help to keep some fine pieces of furniture from the landfills. Eco friendly furniture for your home often have a distinctive look as they are made from many interesting reused and recycled materials.
Using vintage and antique furniture helps to save hardwood, and old wood gets a new lease of life. New furniture usually consists of particle board which is bound together by synthetic glues which release formaldehyde and other greenhouse gases into the air. Read on to know how the use of eco friendly furniture adds spark to your home as well as saves the environment from further pollution:
Things to keep in mind while selecting the best eco friendly furniture for your home
Furniture that has less processing time, low carbon emission and consumes little amount of natural resources such as water and wood, is termed as eco friendly. Repairing old furniture is good for the environment, as you would save trees from deforestation. Companies which are into vintage and eco friendly furniture ideas, are in the habit of practising fair trade which means that workers are paid fair and are not exploited.
Find a good store or buy online
You can shop for green furniture in shops near you that stock it or you can buy online. Your choice reveals your taste and with the remarkable and imaginative designs made with sustainable materials. You can choose chic designs or go for enduring traditional furniture design which has been recycled.
Sustainable materials that are used to make furniture
Ideas for furniture that are eco friendly can be found online and at stores which stock green furniture. Bamboo is a very sustainable material as it requires less fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides. It is used to make very sturdy and beautiful furniture, from chairs, tables, beds and curios you can put on the walls.
Another sustainable material which is quirky but is gaining acceptance is cardboard. Cardboard furniture is cheap, light and distinctive. The production of cardboard furniture reduces paper waste and methane gas emission is decreased.
If you like wooden furniture, you can buy wooden furniture from manufacturers that are certified as acquiring wood from forests after replanting those they cut down. Eco friendly furniture includes handmade furniture made by local artisans. Made from fabrics, wool (organic), and retrieved metal and wood, handcrafted furniture has an appeal which cannot be derived from machine made mass produced furniture. By buying handcrafted furniture, you can add a simple but exquisite look to your home, and play a role in safeguarding traditional art and artisans.
Using antique furniture to add charm to your home
Antique furniture adds charm and has the advantage of being timeless. They are often considered works of art, which you can display in your home in pride of place. Some antiques are handed down from generation to generation and your family would have many stories and memories associated with them.
You can also find antique furniture in auctions, yard or garage sales, which are just pure ‘steals’. You can furnish your home with vintage and eco friendly furniture ideas to express your unique aesthetic sense. Most antiques are refinished by using water-based solvents, which are gentler and safer for the environment, as well as the artisans.
Mix and match
Mixing and matching time periods and styles can give an outstanding look to your home. You can plan the interior design of your home to reflect both modern and contemporary. Vintage and antique furniture takes time to find but you can collect amazing pieces over time. Patio furniture can be made out of bamboo and cane, which is sturdy enough to last in all kinds of weather. Your indoor furniture can be a combination of handcrafted and antique furniture, combined with minimalistic eco friendly furniture and accessories.
Be creative and look around you – you might find inspiration in nature and design your own unique interiors, combining different materials like wood, metal, glass and cane/bamboo, as well as vintage and antique furniture.
