Looking for furniture from an environmentally conscious manufacturer? Make sure that you look into Knu Furniture. Knu's mission is sustainable contemporary furniture. Here is a privacy screen and a bookcase from their product line.Sustainably harvested wood comes from protected, regulated forests; ensuring ecosystems aren't impacted by the loss of trees and that replanting occurs after harvesting. The basic tenet is that the amount of goods and services yielded from a forest should be at a level the forest is capable of producing without degrading the soil, watershed features or seed source for the future. Knu offsets 100% of its carbon emissions and utilizes energy efficient technology to mitigate the amount of energy required in manufacturing.
It seems that the world is going green, and not the color rather the eco friendly concept of taking care of mother earth. The furniture industry which uses so many raw materials from foam to an abundance of wood, is finding ways to join the plan. Furniture Style has an article this month with some companies using renewable and recycled materials as a way of doing business.
Norwalk Furniture for instance is committed to 10% soy based foams and recycled wire and steel in hundreds of its styles. Environment Furniture uses peroba wood from abandoned barns and dwellings in southern Brazil. Four Hands Congo collection uses Mango, a fast growing hardwood used for its fruit production which will only bear fruit for a few years. The wood is then used and new growth planted in a natural rotation.
At this years furniture markets the manufacturers have apparently heard the demands from consumers and made a strong eco friendly showing. With great looks that will be sure to entice consumers, new items ranged from "light green" with some eco friendly components to "dark green" with 100% sustainable materials. Some of the more sought after materials are rattan, fallen rainforest trees, retired fruit bearing trees, plantation forestry, and leathers dyed with aniline that are less harmful to the environment. As things move forward demand for eco friendly materials will surely grow as petroleum based materials and lumber prices grow as they have in recent years.
The first image that comes to mind when I think of cork is a wooden stopper in a wine bottle. Cork has many other advantages that are not as publicized. Environmentally speaking cork is one of the few products that does not destroy the tree when it is harvested. Cork oak trees have bark harvested every nine years. Tree bark is what cork is made out of. The oak tree itself is not harmed in any way so that it can grow its bark back. These trees commonly have a life span well over 100 years. Cork manufacturers use the bark to make wine stoppers. Cork flooring is a byproduct made from the waste left over when the wine stoppers are manufactured. In addition cork flooring can be made into beautiful patterns and colors to enhance the décor of your business or home.
Cork Benefits
Durability & softness - air pockets in cork make the product soft to walk on and reduce the wear and tear on the floor since the cushioning prevents shoes from grinding on the flooring.
Sound reduction - cork's porous nature causes sound to become trapped in the tiny air pockets in the wood. Consider cork as a sound proofing agent.
Thermal insulation - Heat and cold are trapped in cork within the tiny air pockets in the wood. Cork flooring should never be as cold or as warm as traditional flooring.
Anti allergenic and insect resistant - Suberin is a natural substance in cork that repels insects and also prevents cork from rotting. Suberin is the key substance that prevents corks from rotting in wine bottles.
Cork flooring can be made into beautiful patterns and colors to enhance the décor of your business or home.
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How many times have you seen a seemingly irreparable piece of furniture that just needs a latch, foot, of knob to bring it back to life? There are so many resale shops doing a lot of business with items that are close to perfect that may keep a consumer from buying. Also many of us damage a drawer glide and then feel compelled to cast aside an otherwise good item. Well here is a great source to get a myriad of items to fix, finish, or restore just about any furniture item out there. Furniture Knowledge is ready to help with so many parts, and in almost every category you could think of. They also offer tips and have a small $10.00 minimum order with a discount on orders over $50.00. From traditional to shaker this site can help in so many furniture emergencies.
The 1920's and 30's will forever be remembered for the Great Depression, prohibition, and some really roaring times. For the design oriented person it will be remembered for the style that combined overstated glitz and art into a concept called Art Deco. True, it was ahead of its time but as we know, all things old become new again. There is a lot of demand for some of the original classics, and consumers are paying top dollar for some of the well kept originals. Knoll and Hermann Miller were some of the famous makers who commissioned top designers of the day to create pieces for their following. Paul Frankl, Donald Desky, and Gilbert Rohde are among these furniture designers who have a renewed appeal. On a recent trip to New York City, I had a first hand look at some of the great modern designs that have endured and look as stunning today as they did 75 years ago. You can see a lot of the beautiful furniture and accessories of the Art Deco period at Modernism.
