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Going Green
by Elizabeth Moya

With Global Warming at the forefront of our nightly news, "going green" has become the hot new topic; but what does it mean? It basically means that if we make good and sound choices as individuals we can help to forge a more positive impact on our environment. Just like any doctor would suggest the road to a healthy body is to exercise and eat right, the same is true about the world we live in. What we take from it and add to it affects us all and leads to either a healthy or unhealthy existence. And besides, all the popular celebrities like Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz are doing it, why not us? But honestly, we should not be going green just because it is the latest fad. We should be doing it because we are responsible human beings. In a year in which North America and the world saw so many weather pattern changes; record flooding on the West Coast and a bone dry Southeast with all time high temperatures throughout the summer, it almost seems like a moral mandate. Going green is more than just recycling plastic bottles, paper and cardboard boxes. It is a lifestyle and here at Furnitureland South we are all about LIFE.STYLE.

Furnitureland South has always prided itself not only in being the largest furniture showroom in the world, but in being on the "cutting edge" of new trends. In this area too we are ahead of the game. When you speak of "green" furniture most people envision unattractive, boxy, brown furniture, but this is not the case at all. Many of Furnitureland South’s manufacturing partners are environmentally aware, linking practicality and functionality with beauty and style. Several of our manufacturers have been working towards providing a more ecologically friendly product. For example, Harden Furniture owns its own 20,000 acre sustainable forest in central New York. By using wood from trees they are responsible for replenishing, they are making sure that the world is deprived of the least number of trees possible in the creation of their products. Harden is a member of the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC) and is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), which is a program that has very strict conservation guidelines with which their members must comply. You can learn more about the SFC at www.sustainablefurniturecouncil.com. South Cone Trading Company is another company that has been working tirelessly toward the conservation effort. One of the founding members of Sustainable Furniture Council, many of South Cone’s products are FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council), an organization which has very stringent guidelines by which each member must abide. They have been experimenting at their South American factories with different types of woods that are more readily available than some traditionally used species of trees that could be in danger of becoming extinct.

Other ways in which we can cut down on harmful fumes is to use natural and organic dyes and finishes. Harden and South Cone are experimenting with and implementing the use of chemical free finishes on their wood pieces. Vanguard Furniture Company has been concentrating on the use of non toxic materials in their upholstered pieces by using soy based foams, natural fibers and toxin free fabrics. They also use recycled wood and steel in their sofas and chairs. Even though it is true that green products can initially be more costly for the consumer, in the long run they can be very cost effective. Most green products are produced by quality conscious manufacturers. In most cases these items are handcrafted by master craftsmen with an eye for detail. The structure and beauty will last many years and could even be passed down from generation to generation.

The Global Warming controversy seems to be at the forefront of many discussions, especially since Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize in October. Just a few weeks prior to this event, the Fall 2007 High Point Furniture Market made "Going Green" a pivotal topic that was discussed at length by hundreds of manufacturers, designers and retailers. The months and years to come will bring more earth friendly products to the retail market and Furnitureland South, being the largest furniture showroom in the world, will be one of the first retailers influenced by this movement. If you are searching for what you can do as an individual to make a difference in how your lifestyle is affecting the environment around you, ask questions. Before you go out to buy furniture do a little research on the Internet. All it takes is time and you could help conserve the world’s natural resources. It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that our children and grandchildren have the chance to see and experience the wonderful things that we have been able to experience throughout our lifetime. Each one of us can make a difference with the choices that we make.

Manufacturers carried at Furnitureland South who are members of the Sustainable Furniture Council:

Century Furniture
French Heritage
Harden Furniture
Lazar Industries Palecek Imports, Inc.
South Cone Trading Company
Vanguard Furniture Company
Vaughan-Basset Furniture Company

The list grows longer every day. For more information on these and others manufacturers that have decided to “go green,” please feel free to contact me.

Elizabeth Moya has been an Interior Designer for twelve years the past four years at Furnitureland South. She grew up in Europe and Central America and is fluent in Spanish. Her international design experience includes homes and estates in Guatemala, Venezuela, Bahamas and Canada. Here in the states, Elizabeth has received recognition for her design talents on Model and Showcase homes. Elizabeth has become completely enthralled with the idea of designing using "green" home furnishings and accessories. Short of making you grow grass on your roof you are sure to enjoy learning more about her ideas for "Going Green".

Please contact her directly:
Elizabeth Moya
Phone: 336.841.4328 ext. 2836
E-mail elizabethmoya@furniturelandsouth.com