Ethical furniture brands are helping end the throwaway culture and produce durable pieces that last. Look for ones with handcrafted pieces, third-party manufacturing certifications or which support environmental conservation projects.
Consider choosing nontoxic materials such as recycled cotton, natural jute and eco-friendly wool, as well as CertiPUR-US foam or GREENGUARD certification when selecting furniture brands, in order to reduce emissions and shipping footprints. Furthermore, finding furniture brands made locally may reduce emissions and shipping footprints significantly.
Maiden Home
Nidhi Kapur founded Maiden Home as a female-owned direct-to-consumer brand in 2017 using North Carolina artisans to hand craft furniture pieces with classic, splendid and luxurious aesthetics that stand the test of time. Financing payment plans are also offered through Maiden Home.
The frames for these pieces are constructed from eco-friendly kiln-dried hardwood frames that are eco-friendly and their upholstery free from harmful chemicals such as flame retardants or formaldehyde. Their foam cores are CertiPUR-US certified with soy-based foam for increased environmental benefits than low quality chemicals typically found in cheap couches imported from Asia.
Maiden Home furniture may not come cheap – with their starting couch prices beginning at $3,000 and costs increasing when selecting more costly fabrics. Furthermore, Maiden Home may only have limited styles suitable for families with kids or pets.
Made Trade
Made Trade is an ethical online marketplace of ethically designed clothing, shoes, accessories, and home goods that are sustainably sourced. Their collection comes directly from top global makers, independent small businesses and artisan collectives – with artistry being put before efficiency or mass production. Furthermore they prioritize transparency as Climate Neutral Certified company.
They independently vet all 135+ brands, small businesses, and makers to ensure they uphold our core values of equity, transparency and sustainability. This involves reviewing sustainable sourcing of materials for workers’ safety standards as well as third party verifications for verification purposes.
Masaya & Co is an ethical business run by women that offers beautifully designed products made with eco-friendly materials that are also responsibly sourced and produced. From clothing, pajamas and linens for conscious consumers to natural fiber bedding pieces like the Masaya & Co rocking chair handwoven from regenerative hardwood with trees planted to offset their carbon footprint, there is something here for conscious shoppers looking for beautiful designed ethically made sustainable items made in an ethical way.
West Elm
West Elm is renowned home furnishing retailer that makes eco-conscious choices easier for consumers. Their sustainable furniture pieces include recycled wood and reclaimed leather options.
They also provide pre-owned furniture, which has saved more than five million pounds from being dumped into landfills to date. Not only do these efforts save money and reduce demand for new pieces that drive deforestation and pollution levels down, they are also great ways to save the environment!
The brand stands by their ethical production process and was the first home retailing business to join Fair Trade USA – an initiative combating global poverty while encouraging sustainability. They work closely with artisan groups in order to foster business development while offering fair wages.
Furniture from their inventory comes from both the US and abroad, made with natural, recycled and repurposed materials sourced locally or from abroad. Their furniture utilizes organic cotton upholstery and mattresses certified with OEKO-TEX standards, natural jute webbing, low VOC adhesives, solar panels and wind turbines all to reduce carbon emissions.
Copeland Furniture
At Copeland Furniture, they pride themselves on producing eco-friendly solid wood pieces built to stand the test of time. Copeland Furniture prides themselves on sustainable manufacturing.
Their commitment to the environment has earned them Silver Exemplary Membership with the Sustainable Furnishings Council and a Sage Award. They strive to reduce their ecological footprint by using wood from forests rated low risk for harvesting purposes, and by using finishes which have been certified GREENGUARD certified with low chemical emissions.
As well as using time-tested joinery and construction methods to craft pieces that will stand the test of time, their production process is designed to save energy and minimize waste. They use FSC-certified hardwoods with non-toxic water-based finishes and catalyzed lacquers for durability and protection – not to mention FSC certification! They’re proud to offer heirloom quality furniture that will stay within families for generations; one such Xiloa Dining Table made of sustainably harvested Royal Mahogany or Rosita Walnut with water-based low VOC finishes; perfect!