Green Furniture For All Budgets

Just about everywhere I give presentations these days, no matter the audience demographics, the constant refrain I hear is that green living is theoretically all well and good but realistically too expensive to adopt. I’m still formulating what “on a budget” will specifically mean as I write book 2 - The Lazy E on a Budget (and would welcome feedback on the subject) - though I'm finding products and services that would seem to fit the criteria. Of the big box retailers, Target is currently doing the most to introduce legitimately green furniture to its mass consumer base. Instead of developing the products themselves, Target opted to carry the sustainable furniture lines created by InModern. A relative newcomer to the industry, InModern offers several collections of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified desks, side and coffee tables, and shelves that fits the Target commitment to cheap-chic.

Target's In-Town Coffee Table from FSC certified wood for $339

An affordable, stylish, green option for consumers looking to green their bedroom is now available from Khoury Furniture directly through the company’s website.

The furniture is made in the United States of FSC certified wood and available in numerous finishes and styles ranging from the contemporary Hudson Collection to the traditional Louisville Collection. For beds and a broad array of eco-friendly dressers and night tables to match most decors, this is a really good choice.

Khoury's Louisville Queen Bedroom Set from FSC certified wood for $1791

A price point or two up from khoury is Crate & Barrel. The company sent an email this week announcing that most of its upholstered hardwood frames for sofas and chairs are now made of certified sustainable wood. Crate & Barrel appears to be working with both the FSC (good) and Sustainable Furniture Initiative (SFI – not so good) certifications. FSC is great because it’s an independent, third-party certification system established by really credible non-governmental organizations like the Rainforest Alliance. SFI is somewhat suspect because it’s an industry-determined certification policed by its own members and decidedly less transparent. Still, the move by Crate & Barrel to embed greener materials in its products makes it exceptionally easy for consumers to make greener purchasing decisions. Crate&Barrel’s green commitment also extends beyond the frame. Seat cushions in the case of the Ross Sofa ($2299) are made of a blend of renewable, soy-based foam (10%-20%) and more conventional petroleum-based foam, a small percentage of improvement but better than you'll find most elsewhere. The back cushions are a blend of natural materials such as goose down, feathers and corn-based fibers, making the Ross Sofa not too environmentally shabby though still shabby chic.

Crate & Barrel's Ross Sofa with lots of eco-features for $2299

These developments point to the fact that green business is growing up quickly. With mainstream companies increasingly entering the green marketplace, affordable options for consumers will continue to multiply. And it comes back to how I've always thought about Vivavi. While we are totally committed to offering green furniture and furnishings and running our own operations in the most environmentally responsible ways possible, we are first and foremost a design company. As the furniture industry goes green and that competitive advantage becomes more commonplace, Vivavi’s products must always be able to appeal for their exceptional design, quality, and fair price. I believe they do and this is what we will continue to offer. The larger point is that green furniture choices are increasingly attractive and accessible. They are becoming choices that we want to make rather than choices we feel morally obligated to make. And that is a major step forward.

Vivavi's Babylon Sofa made of FSC certified wood, natural latex cushioning and sustainable fabrics for $4200

I’m not suggesting that the only way to go green is to buy our way into the lifestyle. I’m simply approaching the subject from the point of view that right or wrong, the great majority of Americans – millions and millions of us - are unwilling to sacrifice or pair back our lifestyles just to save the planet. So barring a radical change in social mores or the emergence of real national leadership, the most effective way I can think of to get the great majority of Americans on board with green living is to make the choices as convenient, stylish, and fairly priced as possible.

-- Josh