As we start spending more time indoors, this season is the right time to give your favourite interior spaces a rethink, starting with the living room. But before you start picking out your new favourite loveseat, take a beat to think about its environmental footprint. Much like fast fashion, fast furniture comes with hidden environmental costs.
Other than cheaply made items becoming disposable more quickly than sustainable furniture and home goods, they also create more carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. Additionally, these pieces create an estimated 10 million tons of landfill waste annually in Canada and the U.S. On the flip side, FSC-certified brands harvest their raw materials responsibly and turn them into something you’ll want to use forever.
West Elm
When it comes to building a fashionable-yet-understated room full of clean lines and sleek details, this Massachusetts-based furniture brand should be at the top of your list. Their FSC-certified selection can help you step-up your hosting game with a cocktail-ready mid-century bar cart and roomy slatted buffet crafted from walnut where you can stash everything from table linens to your favourite wine glasses. For natural-toned accents, opt for the reclaimed wood floating shelves to stash your favourite books and pieces of personal history, and give the space added depth with a strategically placed wood frame ledge round wall mirror facing a bright window.
Pottery Barn
Going back to this Manhattan-born brand’s roots (they discovered three barns packed with pottery), the Thorndale buffet brings a vintage, rustic flair to their inventory thanks to a design inspired by Alpine ski lodges, with knots and nicks kept intact. For a sturdy piece on which to set reading lamps and your current favourite read, Abbott concrete and FSC Acacia round 36” bistro table is the perfect option that combines neutrals and high durability thanks to the water-resistant, kiln-dried hardwood. And if you’re looking to bring a bit of a beachy vibe into your abode year-round, the versatile Indo FSC eucalyptus coffee table will become the central accent of your hang-out zone, thanks to its laid-back grey driftwood finish reminiscent of sunny days.
Mouche
No, you’re not going to build your entire décor around tissue boxes, but with four stylish colours that are either muted or offer a light pop of colour, these will fit in with your choices seamlessly. Rather than being manufactured with cut-down trees, Mouche tissues are made from bamboo, which pops back up quickly like a grass after getting cut. Because they’re unbleached, these naturally light-beige sheets can be tossed into your compost bin rather than ending up in landfill. And being free of dyes, fragrances and lotions also means they won’t irritate skin, no matter how sensitive.
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