Simple Swaps To Consider If You're Looking For More Sustainable Furniture

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Furnishing a home can feel like a purely aesthetic project — whether you're choosing a lounge chair that doesn't sacrifice style or trying to find just the right kitchen table to fit the whole fam, you're looking for the colors, designs, and materials that reflect the vibe you want your home to have. But behind every lounge chair and kitchen table (and every other furnished piece in your home), there is a supply chain with a carbon footprint. From the timber used to build bed frames to the energy required to ship materials across the globe, the environmental impact of the furniture industry adds up alarmingly quickly. 

If you're looking for a way to minimize that impact, you're not alone. More and more, consumers are looking to buy eco-friendly furniture, looking for sustainable furniture brands that ethically source materials and make items built to last. Another way to responsibly decorate is to be more intentional in the pieces you do purchase. Swapping out your single-use furniture items for multifunctional pieces is a smart way to reduce your need for several pieces of furniture and maximize efficiency in every area of your home.

Multifunctional furniture is furniture that can be used in more than one way. For example, a Zihanhome Round Storage Ottoman is a stylish coffee table that doubles as storage. Bed frames can often be storage too. A chic Lifezone Queen Frame that can hold some of your clothes along with your mattress, or you can swap out the toddler beds for storage bunk beds for the kids. Other examples include lift-top coffee tables that can convert into a small dining table, desk, or storage space, Murphy beds with foldable desks, height-adjustable desks for sitting or standing needs, or sofas that can turn into guest beds in an instant.

Multipurpose furniture items are often championed as space-saving solutions for small homes. They are — but they are also a way to ensure that you're getting the most out of every furniture item in your home, reducing your need for single-purpose items. This helps create a streamlined, sustainable space you can feel good about.

Remember that buying brand-new pieces every time you move or want to redecorate contributes to the high environmental impact of furniture, too. When you shop for multifunctional furniture, make sure it's an item that's built to last or that could have a place in a new home down the line. Additionally, shop at secondhand stores, Facebook Marketplace, or local 'Buy Nothing' groups. Along with often being a more budget-friendly option, these finds don't require new materials and typically don't have to be flown around the world, drastically improving their environmental footprint and maximizing sustainability in your home.