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Do you know of any manufacturers who are producing residential upholstered furniture with non-toxic, sustainable interior construction materials?

Penny Bonda -- Interior Design, 4/13/2007 12:00:00 AM

The company that immediately comes to mind is el: Environmental Language Furniture. I profiled el and its founder, Jill Salisbury, two years ago and continue to regard both as exemplary examples of sustainable design and manufacture. Specifically, el constructs its upholstered furniture with natural latex, wrapped in cotton batting and barrier cloth. 100% organic materials are also available. Woods are from responsible sources and finishes are non-toxic.

There are other manufacturers doing good work as well. One, Environment Furniture produces the Peroba Collection, which combines 100-year old reclaimed wood from Parana Brazil with new materials. The mission of another, the Q Collection promises to “combine comfort, design and top quality construction with materials that reduce or eliminate risks to human health and the environment.” Their products are green, gorgeous and expensive.

One of the leading suppliers in the hospitality industry, JL Furnishings, has introduced Lone Meadow [http://www.lonemeadow.com/info.htm], a new collection of environmentally-friendly custom seating. They call it the 100% solution because:

100% of the hardwoods are fromSFIcertified North American forests
100% of the finishes use low-VOC water-based materials
100% of the upholstery fabrics are from theDesigntexcradle-to-cradle line
100% of the foam is recycled

In addition, Lone Meadow attempts to use local suppliers within a 500-mile radius of their factories wherever possible and contributes a portion of their profits to The Nature Conservancy.

IKEA, the Swedish company, manufacturers inexpensive furniture and claims to be environmentally responsible despite its heavy use of particleboard. What’s really needed, however, are good quality, widely available affordable lines adhering to the environmental principles of the high-end manufacturers listed above.