To furnish with healthy and sustainable materials, we will always prefer vintage or second-hand furniture, (and we think about giving away or recycling those that we don't use.)
We choose furniture in raw and local solid wood, such as oak, chestnut, cherry or walnut. Why ? Quite simply because they are found in France, they are super resistant and, not insignificantly, they are beautiful!
Otherwise, to be sure that the forest from which they come is preserved, or when it is not French wood that the indigenous populations are respected, it is preferable to choose FSC certified wood (Forest Stewardship Council, a council of good forest management that guarantees the preservation of natural resources and the inhabitants around).
Notice to fans of exoticism... To preserve the planet, we avoid buying furniture in teak, maobi or even azobé... At worst, if we can't resist, we take them FSC certified.
Brand-new furniture made of plastic, chipboard, laminated or laminated wood, as well as varnishes or lacquers, should be avoided as much as possible.
They pollute our interiors with VOCs, i.e. volatile organic compounds. These substances come from hydrocarbons and emanate invisibly from furniture, cupboards, paints, coatings, textiles... And those from furniture can take years to evaporate.
So the most "sustainable" thing is to buy second-hand, in short, to hunt around, it's economical and better for your health since the pollutants have had more time to volatilize. Head to flea markets, consignment sales, websites, flea markets, garage sales or even sales rooms!
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