Some homeowners, desiring unique character or personality in their living rooms, learn how to design and construct furniture. Seek local artists, furniture makers, and small companies for unique décor made with recycled materials. It not only supports their work but reduces embodied energy added through transportation.

Businesses in search of solutions to the tremendous amount of waste we generate are also figuring out how to make furnishings from recycled and repurposed materials. Rhianna Miller, an outdoor design and home improvement expert with Rubber Mulch, argues that "green furniture can be manufactured without harmful emissions, and will not be wasteful with our planet's materials."

Make sure the manufacturer isn't greenwashing you. If you're considering new furnishings with recycled content, look for a label or other information stating the exact percentage of recycled material. Please pay close attention to whether it's made from post-consumer or pre-consumer (post-industrial) recycled content.

Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood can be used for a variety of purposes throughout the living room. Discarded wood pieces can enjoy new life as:

• paneling
• accent walls
• doors
• hardwood floors
• wall art
• shelves
• bookcases
• planter boxes
• tables
• chairs

Reclaimed wood is abundant and can be purchased from local sellers or sourced from timbers, decking, farms, barns, factories, retired ships, wine barrels, boxcars, and more. Using reclaimed wood can also earn you credits towards LEED's 'materials and resources' criteria because it is considered recycled content. Cristina Miguelez, a remodeling specialist at Fixr.com, says, "The wood is beautiful, often old-growth species that can't be found anymore, so you're getting something that's unique and highly durable, as well as a sustainable conversation piece for your home."

Non-toxic Carpeting

While the trend during the 2000s may have been to replace carpeting altogether with hardwood or tile, carpets and rugs still held on to 60% of the market share. Sustainably minded homeowners were quick to make the switch; however, many homeowners were reluctant to give up the comfort and insulation provided by carpet manufacturers.

Many older carpets indeed contained volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates, and endocrine-disruptors. Even new carpeting is known to contain carcinogens, including formaldehyde, acetone, toluene, ethylbenzene, and styrene. While none of this sounds reassuring thus far, many carpeting manufacturers fashion non-toxic carpet from natural fibers and wool. Look for carpeting made from jute, seagrass, sheep's wool, and sisal that is not manufactured or treated with toxic glues and chemicals.

Made With Renewable Resources

When buying new furnishings, ask a lot of questions and find reputable answers to make sure your new couch or lounge, curtains or, carpet have been sustainably sourced and produced. What materials were used to make the item? "Bamboo is a wonderfully renewable resource," Miller says. "It grows quickly, is extremely sturdy, and does not need to come from any natural habitats of endangered creatures or the Amazon rainforest." 

In a Mydomaine.com article on 2020 living-room trends, Mikayla Keating, a designer with Decorist.com, said, "With wellbeing and sustainability on the rise, the biggest trend I see is the use of natural materials and textures. These humble materials like hemp, rattan, cane, and jute can add a huge impact to a space without feeling trendy or overdone." 

Keating goes on to mention "biophilia," a design process that brings elements of nature—from increased natural light and views to the outdoors, to natural materials and textures—into our homes. "I predict that this trend will take the next decade by storm with its organic nature." Keating said. 

Healthy Home Furnishing Labels To Look For

Ben Marshall, creative director, Hudson Valley Lighting Group (HVLG), emphasizes homeowners' increasing desire to add "an ethical component to their purchasing decisions. This desire manifests in warm, earthy, living room decor made with such sustainably harvested materials as acacia and rattan.

Ben Marshall, creative director, Hudson Valley Lighting Group (HVLG), emphasizes homeowners' increasing desire to add "an ethical component to their purchasing decisions. This desire manifests in warm, earthy, living room decor made with such sustainably harvested materials as acacia and rattan.

Forest Stewardship Council

When checking labels on new furnishings, look for Forest Stewardship Council certification, which makes sure the wood products in your furniture were harvested from sustainably managed forests. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) requires documentation of chain-of-custody along the entire supply chain.

Certi-Pur

Certi-Pur certification provides standardization for specific foam products. Greenguard Certification programs test for low VOC emissions. When purchasing furniture or décor made with textiles, look for Oeko-Tex certification. This certification ensures the following chemicals were severely limited or not used at all:

• brominated flame retardants
• chloro-organic toluenes and benzenes
• formaldehyde
• pesticides
• extractable heavy metals
• VOC emissions
• AZO dyes and other known carcinogenic and allergy-inducing dyes
•  chlorinated phenols
• and organotin compounds

Sustainable Furnishing Council

Look for furnishings with a certification from the Sustainable Furnishing Council (SFC). SFC is a coalition of designers, retailers, and manufacturers dedicated to increasing awareness and adoption of environmental sustainability and helps consumers find healthy furnishings.

Scandinavia's Nordic Ecolabel (Svanen) Registry

Svanen works on behalf of the Swedish government to ecologically label over 20,000 products. Their database labels products in the housing and building sector, home products, lawn, and garden, electronics to the cars we drive. With a mandate of climate responsibility, their focus is on sustainable production and consumption.