There's lots of energy in the furniture industry focused on green, sustainable, carbon footprint and protecting our environment. It's all well and good because every little bit does help. But the real issue is that today's mass produced furniture has a planned life cycle of 5 to 10 years.
The big guys try really hard to make sure that styles change, fashions trend and colors bounce around like hemlines in an election year. It's a conscious strategy to make yesterday so old school compared to the promise of tomorrow that we need to jump on the "out with the old, in with the new" bandwagon every few years to keep those showrooms humming.
After all, where are customers going to come from if furnishings are passed down from generation to generation? What are millions of hard-working Chinese factory workers going to do for a living? Lots of folks have a vested interest in you and I swapping out our dining rooms every 10 years or so.
That's wrong-headed thinking. If we really want to help the environment, we need to recycle what we have:
- Recover rather than replace worn upholstered pieces.
- If the fabric is good but the cushions are tired, buy new "stuffers" (cushion inserts) for a small fraction of the cost of replacing a sofa or chair.
- Buy new furniture built from recycled timbers rather than cutting down more trees.
- Take care of the furniture you have. Wax it occasionally, make sure the drawers work smoothly and attend to minor repairs.
Above all, buy quality in the first place. It's smarter to buy one good piece a year than to find instant (and temporary) gratification with a room full of Swedish pieces. As Jean has been saying for years, one good piece carries a room; every piece doesn't have to be a priceless heirloom.
And, for the closing commercial ...... Remember, Antiques are the ultimate "Green"!
