While the practice of sustainability and responsibility may not be in line with much of corporate America 's philosophy of infinite economic growth, there are choices you can make that will have a lasting impact on the planet we leave to our children and future generations to come. Small acts of responsibility, like recycling and conserving water may not seem like much at the time, and may not pay dividends in your lifetime, but take pride and comfort in the fact that you are doing your part. That's really all each of us can do.
Another area where you have the power to enact change is in the wood products you purchase. Most of you probably never gave a second thought to where that new coffee table or bed frame came from. And that's fine; chances are you weren't armed with the information compiled here. But after reading the following, you will no longer be able to claim ignorance nor turn a blind eye to these catastrophic environmental concerns. My hope is that by the end of this short essay, you see the huge social and ecological advantages of purchasing wood products that are certified as sustainably harvested, and that you make a concerted, conscious effort to seek out these responsibly manufactured products and also pass this information on to family and friends.
So what exactly does 'sustainably harvested' mean, you might be asking. 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. Sustainable harvesting also takes into account the potential damage to vegetation and wildlife. While there are a few different methods of harvesting trees in these regulated forests, the most common mimic natural forces such as fallen trees, insect infestation, and forest fires.
We've all heard the motto "save the rainforest." But why does the rain forest need saving and not the forests of North America and Europe ? The fact is that while much clear-cutting was done to pave the way for urbanization and industrialization, regulations and governing bodies are now in place to ensure responsible use of the forests in Europe in North America . Most of the world's rain forests, however, are located in developing countries where establishing governance of and enforcing responsible use of the land is almost impossible. Slash and burn as well as clear-cutting techniques are often used in rain forest areas not for the wood, but to clear space to plant crops that irresponsibly deplete the soil, leaving it infertile and practically useless after only a few yields.
The impact of deforestation on the environment is currently being felt all over the earth. From the regulation of groundwater to the moisture in the atmosphere, a major function of forests is the management of the world's finite water supply. Cleared areas are more susceptible to flash floods and soil depletion due to run-off and on a larger scale, deforestation has been linked to tsunamis, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, and our current climate crisis or state of global warming.
What you can do as a responsible consumer is to make sure your wood furniture purchases are all products made from sustainably harvested wood. In most cases this isn't a very difficult task and won't cost you any extra money. Many retailers, such as eco-furniture.com, only carry wood products from manufacturers whose wood comes from forests managed by one the main third-party certification entities. These include the Canadian Standards Association, the Forest Stewardship Council, and the Sustainable Forest Initiative. As of December, 2006, there were over 2.4 million square kilometers of certified forest, with over 1.2 million of that certified in Canada alone.
Source: James Allen
Contact Furniture Fashion
If you have any tips, "before and after" stories, new design concepts, pictures, or general questions please send them to us. Designers - feel free to send us new design drawings, pictures, or concepts as we enjoy featuring those stories to readers. Pictures are always welcome from readers, but please make sure the file size is small (low resolution) since many of them will not make it through our email servers. Due to the large amount of email received, we cannot promise that we will get to each one of them, but we will do our best.
Email Address
info (at) furniturestoreblog (dot) com
These long awaited traditional furniture pieces are being displayed at the High Point show in North Carolina. Here is some background information from the original press release from Highland House. Their website does not have the collection pictures up yet.
Highland House Announces a Licensing Agreement With Paul Burrell, English Lifestyle Expert and Former Personal Assistant to Diana, Princess of Wales Highland House announces a licensing agreement with Paul Burrell, English lifestyle expert, former butler to the Royal Family of England and former personal assistant to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. In March 2007 at the High Point Market, Highland House will introduce its first furniture collection in collaboration with Burrell - Royal Manner: The English Country House. This new collection will include approximately 60 pieces of upholstery plus wood and occasional accent furniture that evoke the relaxed elegance indigenous to English country houses.
"No country seems to intrigue Americans more than Great Britain, and there's no style of decorating more popular or more often emulated than timeless, classic British style," says Tom Staats, president of Highland House. "We're fortunate to collaborate with someone like Paul Burrell who brings with him 21 years in service to the English Royal Family and exposure to a wealth of expertise in all aspects of fine English lifestyles. Paul is an ideal consultant who brings with him a unique platform around which to create and market a collection of elegant-yet-relaxed country English furniture. This will be an ideal fit within our already well-established European Excursions marketing strategy."
Burrell was the trusted personal assistant to Princess Diana in the five years prior to her death, and it was Paul Burrell that Diana famously referred to as "my rock." Prior to serving as Princess Diana's personal assistant and confidante, Paul Burrell rose from member of the Royal Household staff to personal attendant to the Queen and then butler to the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Continue reading "Princess Diana's Butler Inspires Highland House Furniture" »
This month marks the first early start for the High Point Market, held March 26-April 1 in High Point, N.C. The change doesn't have any effect on the variety of outdoor products featured at the show. From outdoor lighting to full-scale casual furniture collections, there will be plenty to see in the Furniture Capital.
One of the multifunction items at the market this year is the Arizona range from Barlow Tyrie, designed by Vladimir Kagan, crafted of all-weather hand-woven resin and features a contemporary cube design. The modular design allows it to fit anywhere even in outdoors in covered areas for the ultimate in patio furniture. The woven resin is weather resistant under most conditions and is available in light or dark colors and various fabrics .
Foamex International Inc. announced the launch of Reflex® Natural™, a high-performance, environmentally-friendly flexible polyurethane foam for the furniture industry. Foamex will introduce the new product line at the High Point Furniture Market, the largest wholesale home furnishings show in the world, which opens March 26, 2007.
Reflex Natural is a unique, highly durable flexible polyurethane foam, made partially from plant-based renewable raw materials. In Reflex Natural foam, these natural ingredients replace significant amounts of the petroleum-based materials traditionally used in foam-making. In addition, Reflex Natural is manufactured using Foamex's proprietary Variable Pressure Foaming (VPF) technology, a virtually emission-free manufacturing process that creates significantly higher quality cushioning material in a wide variety of density and firmness, resulting in a product that provides consistent comfort. It also contains organic, halogen-free fire retardants. Reflex Natural is the newest addition to Foamex's Reflex product line, which provides the furniture industry a superior alternative to traditional polyurethane, fibers and synthetic fiberfills.
Andrew Thompson, Executive Vice President, Foam and Technical Products of Foamex, said: "Developing and manufacturing innovative foam products and solutions to meet the exacting demands of our customers is our priority and the cornerstone of our future. Reflex Natural will provide Foamex's customers with all of the physical properties they have come to expect from the Reflex line, while delivering a unique combination of significant environmental benefits as well. Reflex Natural provides the durability, comfort and feel our customers have become accustomed to and is a tangible example of our commitment to become the foam industry's leading environmentally-responsible company and supplier partner."
Continue reading "Foamex To Introduces Environmentally Friendly Foam" »
