Q It Up: People Safe. Planet Safe

Q It Up: People Safe. Planet Safe

They met as client and designer. Today they are partners in Q Collection, a deeply green furniture and textile company.

In the early 2000s, Jesse Johnson had just concluded a graduate environmental and business management program at Yale and was moving back to Manhattan with an apartment to furnish. Looking for help, a friend recommended Anthony Cochran, an interior designer who had never before had a client ask for environmentally-friendly solutions, and frankly didn’t know much about it.

Together they discovered there was little available that met their criteria for design, quality and sustainability. With a high learning curve before them they set out to provide a to-the-trade resource with beautifully designed high end residential furnishings that are “people safe, planet safe.”

“We had some prototypes made, 10 pieces and some textiles, and in 2003 held a gathering in a Soho loft space for invited designers, editors and others to test our ideas,” recalls Jesse. Though there were plenty of skeptics – folks who didn’t believe that green could be chic – there was enough positive feedback, and Q Collection was born.

Today the line includes furniture, both contract and residential textiles, some accessories and the newly introduced Q Collection Junior – furniture and bedding designed to help parents provide the healthiest home possible for their children. Sold online and through retailers at a lower price point, the Junior line, engagingly designed - I think it’s adorable - has been very successful.

Jesse and Anthony have been deeply focused on the health issues of their products since the beginning. “At first,” says Anthony, “most people didn’t understand that there are chemicals in their homes causing them harm and furniture is one of the top culprits.” The partners consulted a number of experts to research and set criteria for substances that could and couldn’t be used. Formaldehyde and polyurethane head the list.

They also realize the value of third-party certifications to validate their environmental claims. Most of the wood is FSC certified, some textiles have received MBDC Cradle to Cradle certification and their crib is the first and only Greenguard certified crib in the U.S. Invalidated and frankly untrue claims made by some furniture makers are frustrating, they say. “The customer shouldn’t have to figure out what’s innovation and what’s greenwashing through marketing.”

Q Collection provides its customers with an enormous amount of health and environmental information and resources including a glossary.

People Safe. Planet Safe. It’s not a slogan, it’s a mantra.