How To Furnish your Home in a more Sustainable Way

Buying new furniture for your home can be exciting, but if you’re looking for an eco friendly way to source things, it can be a bit of a minefield too. There are so many things to bear in mind such as quality of wood, toxic chemicals used to treat furniture and protection of our earth’s resources.

My mother used to say that I had the knack for ‘putting a throw over a cardboard box and making a home of it’! I think this was a compliment and a nod to my eclectic style, where I’m not afraid to mix antiques with, well, a cardboard box!

That statement was loosely based on fact to be fair. When I moved out of home and had no money, I did indeed put a silk scarf I’d bought on holiday in Egypt, over a cardboard box, and use it as a side table. And my dining table was a piece of wood balanced on an old tumble dryer! I have upped my game since then, you’ll be pleased to know!

But I’m also still pretty good at sourcing furniture in ways that are more eco friendly. Here are some ideas:

Scour charity shops

Some of the larger charity shops sell furniture from three piece suits to dining tables and everything in between. We once managed to find a wonderful 1950s style dressing table, which we used in our dining room to store our daughter’s toys. The great thing about a charity shop is you never know what you will find, most things are very reasonably priced and your money will directly benefit other people or causes

Antique shops

One of our favourite chairs in the house was spotted in the window of a charity shop. It was love at first sight and fitted right into a corner by the fireplace. I love to think about all the people who have sat in that chair and had a conversation. As it dates back to the Edwardian era, I’m sure this chair has seen a lot of events unfolding throughout the years!

Auction houses

We have a local auction house where I love to both take things and buy things. We took an old Victorian dining table to an auction and used the proceeds to find something smaller that fitted our needs more. If you’re buying antiques you’ll want to take good care of them, so enlist the help of a professional furniture movers to move things safely.

Be Creative

If you don’t find the perfect item, but the shape or fit is right, then consider upcycling. I had a chair from my grandmother which I loved for its sentimental value, but hated the dated brown cover. By covering it with something more in keeping with my home, I know have a treasured piece of furniture full of fond memories to enjoy. You’ll find plenty of tutorials online.