2020 was a life-altering and drastic year, and 2023 has been the year we get to redeem all our careless mistakes of the past and start living more consciously and sustainably. We cannot ignore the needs of our planet anymore, we need to take the environment into consideration, and what better way to start doing that than from our own homes? Sustainable furniture is taking the design industry by storm, they’re a step towards making our homes and our daily lives more eco-friendly and sustainable. They’re an attempt to cast aside toxic materials, and instead, add furniture designs to our home that won’t rot away on Earth for years once we’re done with them. We’ve curated a collection of furniture products created from cork, bamboo, and even coffee-based waste! The options are endless, and the end result is the same – a greener, healthier, and happier Mother Earth!
1. 3D-printed Chairs
Designed by Johannes Steinbauer Office For Design, these unique 3D-printed chairs were designed by utilizing additive manufacturing, and without the use of fabrics, springs, and foam. Although the chair doesn’t have any springs and foam, it is still super functional and cozy to sit in.
Why is it noteworthy?
The design is simple enough with four legs, a round seat, and a single bar at the back. But if you want to add other components like more racks or textiles, these can be added through 3D printing. The different parts are easy to assemble and disassemble and once it reaches the end of life, you can dispose of the different parts separately and recycle them accordingly.
What we like
- Easy to assemble and disassemble the design
- Sustainable design
What we dislike
- No instruction on having a space-saving version of this design
2. Ash Furniture Collection
London-based social enterprise Goldfinger recently launched its Tate Modern furniture collection which is built from fallen trees at the London Design Festival.
Why is it noteworthy?
The collection includes a dining table, bench, and stool. The pieces were built using fallen ash trees, in turn celebrating the delicate and elegant beauty of native British wood.
What we like
- Utilizes timber that would otherwise have been destroyed
- Individual pieces feature an engraving of the coordinates of where the fallen trees once stood
What we dislike
- Large space-consuming designs
3. Gago Rocking Chair
Portuguese design brand Dam just unveiled a cork-clad rocking chair to celebrate 10 years of its existence. The unique-looking chair is inspired by seaplanes!
Why is it noteworthy?
When you look at the Gago rocking chair, it instantly brings to mind the rounded shape of an aviator’s helmet, which is an ode to the first successful crossing of the South Atlantic Ocean by a Portuguese pilot in 1922. On the back of every chair is a label that says “1922, 8383km”. The number represents the milestone journey between Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro.
What you like
- The exterior of the chair is made from cork, making it sustainable, durable, and aesthetic
What we dislike
- Since it is a rocking chair, it is a pretty niche furniture design and doesn’t hold utility for everyone
4. The Bend Chair
Designed by the Thai design brand Waste is More, the Bend Chair is built using coffee-based waste, recycled plastic, and wood. The simple and minimalist-looking chair’s seat, back, and arm are made from More’s signature PlasCoff material
Why is it noteworthy?
The material combines recycled plastic with waste from coffee bean processing, making it a pretty sustainable option for your home! The interesting part is that the deeper the shade, the higher the content of coffee waste
What we like
- Built using locally sourced rubber tree timber, and coffee-based waste
- Perfect mix of ergonomics, functionality, sustainability, and good looks
What we dislike
- Aesthetics are a bit unassuming and simple
5. Tellus Bench
Designed by street furniture brand Vestre and designer Emma Olbers, the Tellus Bench was built using fossil-free steel, and without creating any kind of carbon sessions.
Why is it noteworthy?
Swedish steelmaker SSAB forged the steel used to build the Tellus Bench in its converted blast furnace, which utilizes green hydrogen instead of coal for heat, and hence it emits no carbon dioxide.
What we like
- The bench is equipped with wide armrests, that provide comfort to the user, while also offering sufficient space to place a coffee or tea cup
What we dislike
- Aesthetics are a bit dull and unassuming
6. Fuld Chair
Dubbed Fuld, the newly launched nesting chair by Herman Miller is truly quite unique and like no other. It is an efficient and effective solution for reconfiguring your workspace without compromising on style, sleekness, and minimalism
Why is it noteworthy?
Fuld is a revolutionary one-piece construction featuring an inverted Y shape, which ensures that the production process creates less water. The back is incorporated with elasticity, to ensure the utmost comfort as you shift and move around.
What we like
- Built from 50 percent post-consumer recycled content, and to the chair’s dimensions, so no material is wasted at all during the construction of the chair
What we dislike
- Not much head support if you’re very tall
7. The Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk
Designed by FlexiSpot, the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk is an ergonomic, height-adjustable desk that features a unique desktop – one that is made from bamboo.
Why is it noteworthy?
The bamboo desktop is the focal point of the desk, and it intends to bring an element of warmth to your home office. Also according to FlexiSpot it “has twice the durability of ordinary wood”. “Nothing beats the elegance of a natural bamboo strip built into an ergonomic desk,” said the brand.
What we like
- Sustainable and durable furniture design
- Equipped with a dual-motor lifting system
What we dislike
- Could be more aesthetically detailed and pleasing
8. Drop Side Table
This clean, minimal, and sturdy furniture piece is called the Drop Side Table, it is built by twisting a standard glass tube until the tube is completely interlocked within itself.
Why is it noteworthy?
This twisting and interlocking resulted in the creation of two parts that are divided by a tightly knitted separation. Twisting the tube created a simple and efficient product that did not require any additional material.
What we like
- Recycled PTA and recycled wood fibers were utilized for the 3D-printing process
- The twisting storage sections of the side table can be used to store a variety of items from books and magazines to tealights or smaller flowers
What we dislike
- The curved under-table is not a storage-intensive design as it leads to a waste of space
9. The Bündner Side Table
The Bündner Side Table is designed by Portuguese architecture and design studio Joana Vilaça Studio. The solid wood table is inspired by the Swiss Alps lifestyle.
Why is it noteworthy?
Joana drew inspiration from her own experience of living in Switzerland, where her studio is located. “Having lived for five years in the beautiful Graubünden canton of Switzerland, the collection is inspired by the art of living in the Swiss Alps,” she said.
What we like
- The self-assembly design is ideal for residential or public interiors, where it can be utilized as a bedside, coffee, or side table
What we dislike
- Would be great if there was a folding/space-saving version of it as well
10. ChatPod 700
The Chatpod 700 is a sleek and minimal office booth that is supposed to be “the most sustainable office booth on the market”.
Why is it noteworthy?
Made entirely from recycled materials such as post-consumer cardboard, sawdust, rubber, and plastic bottles, the Chatpod 700 is quite proud of its sustainable composition, and with reason.
What we like
- Made using recycled materials
- Excellent and convenient space to hold casual informal meetings
What we dislike
- Large space-consuming design, not intended for smaller office spaces
