Eco-Furniture

Χαίρετε~

How is everyone? Hope everything is fine for all. So the holiday season is coming, I believe most of you have plans on your destination. I was recently in Singapore to attend a seminar, and at the same went to IKEA to grab some furnitures. It was a marvelous trip. IKEA was filled with all the necessities that I need. 

While I was having a coffee break in their cafe, I was observing their structure and the furnitures that are sold in there. It makes me think: Are all these furnitures eco-friendly? We know that furnitures come at the expenses of trees, but there are other alternatives on how to make them. That is why this time, we'll be talking about the recycled furnitures.

What Is The Concept?

So what is the concept of eco-friendly furniture or also known as sustainable furniture? As the people of the world become increasingly knowledgeable about the value of home energy efficiency, they are now also thinking about the quality of their home environment. And that includes furniture too, because depending on what it’s made out of your furniture can affect your home’s indoor air quality.

A lot of furniture is made using artificial wood and other materials that release various toxins into the air. The chief culprit is formaldehyde, which is the most common toxin found in artificial wood furniture, and big contributor to poor indoor air quality. The formaldehyde comes from the amount of glue used in making the furniture – the more glue in the wood, the more formaldehyde.

Sustainable furniture, on the other hand, is made from nontoxic, renewable resources, including recycled materials. These products can be disassembled and recycled when no longer needed. The idea behind sustainable furniture design is to make it so that the materials and products are always recycled after use, thereby avoiding disposal in landfills. This is in addition to the fact that they also help contribute to a healthier indoor environment.

Sustainable furniture is relatively easy to source, with any number of designers and stores offering various styles and models. It’s important to remember, though, that it is only a component of an energy efficient home. To understand how to design and build an energy efficient home, you will need to engage a Home Energy Professional.

How Do You Make It?

Heating and cooling are no longer exclusively an architectural issue, but one that can be tackled with smart furniture design. This elegant-looking Climatic Table can regulate indoor temperatures by storing heat and increases energy savings by up to 60% for heating and 30% for cooling. Designers Raphaël Ménard and Jean-Sébastien Lagrange created an entire series called Zero Energy Furniture that can “store a large quantity of thermal energy within a small volume.”

The first piece in the series is The Climatic Table, made from solid oak and corrugated anodized aluminium. The secret to the table’s energy-efficient performance lies in the innovative use of phase-change materials (PCM), integrated between the surface of plain wood and the folded sheet of anodized aluminum. Thanks to this great technology, the table can help smooth out temperature fluctuations and, in the case of office buildings, save up to 60% of energy required for heating and about 30% for cooling.

The top is made from solid oak which has great thermal qualities, while folded aluminium sheets placed on the underside have high conductivity and great structural properties. This fantastic design was presented at the 2015 Milan Design Week.

Worthy or Not?

Advantages

1. Lower Energy Costs: 
   Recent studies show that energy efficient furniture can reduce your home appliance energy usage of between 25% and 50% depending on the model and the type of furniture. 
    
2. Better Design.
   Their design is usually very modern and they look higher end than traditional models.
     
3. Eco-environmentally Friendly.
   These furnitures are not as bad for the environment. They have a smaller smaller impact on the woods usage.

 Disadvantages

1. Higher Price:
   Their price is higher than traditional models and it can be a big investment.
    
2. Smaller Selection:
   There are not as many models available in the stores.
    
3. Expensive to Repair:
   Because of their extensive technology, the parts and labor is more expensive.