Hotel Furniture Center

What Does Your Furniture Say About You?

If you're like most people, shopping for home decor is a journey %u2026 not a destination. You want something beautiful, that will fit perfectly into your space and adorn your home with comfort and style. And since your furniture says a lot about you-- & your values, your vision, your philosophy-- you want to make sure the right message is sent:

"Made in China?" No. "Contributor to global warming?" No. "Product of child or slave labor?" Definitely not. "One of millions?" "Will be out on the curbside in a few years?" "Bought at Wal-Mart or another big box store?" No, no, no. But the reality, we prefer to avoid, is that most of our furniture embodies some or all of these negative messages.

Green Opportunities

The good news is that things are beginning to change as the furniture industry becomes more aware of its substantial contribution to global deforestation and climate change, and the huge potential it has to help preserve the planet's rapidly dwindling rainforests. That awareness is bringing the availability of some extraordinarily beautiful eco friendly furniture.

Tips on Finding Fabulous Green Furniture

Two key non-profits are dedicated to helping consumers of wood products use their powerful purse strings to help save the earth's rainforests and thus fight global warming. The Forest Stewardship Council, FSC is an international third party certifier of forest product companies. FSC is considered the gold standard for certification of furniture, flooring, architectural millwork and timber. When you purchase, for example a wooden rocking chair that carries the FSC seal of approval, you can rest assured that every company that has participated in the process of getting that chair to you (forest owner, sawmill, wholesaler, manufacturer and retailer) has implemented a required set of environmentally and socially responsible practices. In order to encourage the furniture industry and consumers to embrace and expand FSC certification, a group of industry visionaries has recently founded the Sustainable Furniture Council, SFC. This group is chartered with promoting the FSC brand and making eco furniture the marketplace norm, rather than the exception. When shopping for furniture, always ask for FSC or SFC certification, especially if you are buying something made from rapidly disappearing rainforest woods like bamboo, mahogany or teak. Tell your local retailer about the FSC and the SFC and ask them to carry certified products. Shop online and select from the many authentic green furniture companies offering certified products to suit your needs.

Beauty Meets Virtue%u2026and Value

Have you searched for FSC and SFC certified furniture already and come up short? Don't give up! True, the so called green giants like IKEA, Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel are simply taking greenwash to new levels, but smaller niche green furniture outlets are stepping in to provide beauty, style, selection, quality and yes value! For example, Vermont Woods Studios, a group of eco furniture makers in Vermont has partnered with a similar group of artisans in Bolivia to offer rainforest friendly, FSC certified outdoor furniture at very competitive prices. The company also offers a wide selection of handcrafted furniture from indoor ultra-luxury specialty custom pieces to affordable dining, living and bedroom sets. Materials used are sustainable, such as reclaimed barn wood, FSC certified hardwoods and natural finishes.

Why Bother?

Today's consumers, and indeed even some furniture industry insiders don't realize that up to 90% of their furniture comes from illegally harvested wood, often clear cut from the earth's rainforests. According to the Nature Conservancy, every second, a slice of rainforest the size of a football field is mowed down. That's an unfathomable 86,400 football fields of rainforest per day, or over 31 million football fields of rainforest each year. More than 56,000 square miles of natural forest are lost each year. Who will save this treasure for important flora and fauna for your children and their children? Non-profits are working hard, but are limited by resources and lack of volunteers. Governments occasionally help, but only when it is politically expedient to do so. Green commerce must step up and take on this task. Spread the word%u2026save the planet. That's right%u2026I'm talking to you!

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