Photos By: Design Fixation

The word “sustainable”, used in this particular context, refers to a piece of furniture that is made from materials that are not harmful to the environment, and that aid in the sustenance of our environment and our Earth.

Therefore, what we are about to share with you is a list of some absolutely amazing pieces of home furniture that not only aid in sustaining our environment, but these pieces are also durable and they will last a long time!

Vintage Furniture

Most pieces of vintage furniture – as per what the name would suggest – were made many years ago, and they didn’t come from a big, and very environmentally harmful, factory, but a studio or a workshop that took the time to build each piece without the aid of cumbersome and environmentally unfriendly machines.

On top of that, purchasing this kind of furniture means that it won’t go to a landfill. And these pieces will last a long time, because they have already done so! Besides, they look really cool and they’re very stylish pieces of furniture that are perfect for home staging if you are planning on selling your home.

Amish Furniture

The entire point of Amish furniture is that it is durable and able to last for a very long period of time. You see, the Amish build things like Amish bookcases and Amish kitchen hutches so that they can pass those pieces on to their children, and so their children can pass those pieces onto their children, and so on and so forth. It is a way of sharing history, and never letting the past die.

If you know anything about the Amish, you know that they are very much in-tune with nature, and that they don’t choose to pollute or to be involved in practices that are against nature. The trees that they cut up are done carefully, with tools that don’t pollute, and they take the time to craft each piece of furniture so that it is truly elegant and beautiful, while using durable, and sustainable, materials! You simply can’t go wrong with Amish furniture, and there are so many amazing pieces out there that are perfect for home decorating.

Purchase Reclaimed Furniture

Reclaimed furniture is a type of furniture that consists of pieces that were once discarded due to age and a lack of use, but have since been reclaimed and turned into very usable, very beautiful, pieces of furniture!

You can find reclaimed furniture at many different warehouses and places. Sometimes, the pieces are more expensive, but many times, they are actually quite a bit cheaper than the newer pieces. They also have the the benefit of not coming from an environmentally harmful mass-manufacturing plant of some kind, and remaining very durable for further use due to the fact that they have been reclaimed and remain usable today!

Those are just a few ideas for some of the choices you have when it comes to sustainable home furniture that will last you a long time!

I’m so glad to be partnering with a fabulous online antique shop that just opened called Vintage Adirondack, a growing source for rustic furniture, cabin decor, and lakeside living. I LOVE encouraging new emerging businesses and since being obsessed with rustic, cabin-like decor in the last little while, I was super glad to be able to feature them!

Vintage Adirondack is a small family owned business that basically sells what they truly love and collect along their journey of living on the lake. The owners realized their love for this unique décor after buying a cabin on a small lake as a summer home. The cabin is Adirondack style and they search antique shops, and garage sales looking for primitive, rustic, one-of-a-kind finds!

Having grown up myself in a BIG city and experiencing the hustle and bustle of the busy urban lifestyle, it is especially important to find ways to wind down and enjoy the little things! Even though I may not have a little cabin on the lake, just including a few vintage finds in my home helps tone down things a LOT and completely change the mood of my home.

Distressed wooden furniture, mismatching patterns like floral and plaid, as well as including natural elements like stone, hides, and antlers are some of my favorite ways to bring the outdoors and wildlife in!

Here’s the perfect example how you can incorporate lakeside living with modern decor. This lovely home is situated in Upper Saranac Lake, NY.

Here are few things that I really liked from their store that caught my eye, the deer antler table lamp stole the show for me! How neat is that? Take a look:

This room snapshot is from my favorite source for decor trends: Architectural Digest. They really seem to have jumped on the rustic lake house trend!

Lake house décor includes a lot of weatherworn, and aged furniture that looks like it has been through a lot but still manages to look amazing – it’s part of the whole look! Try to focus on finding things that already look old, and have a charming appeal like a big wooden dining table with nicks, dents, and scratches. Even tufted leather Chesterfield sofas look amazing as well as worn-in leather Parsons chairs. Also use distressed wood flooring without a shine or stain and layer on rugs made from natural fibers like sisal or wool.

Visit Vintage Adirondack here to check out what’s in store!

KEEP CHECKING BACK – new things are always popping up!

You’ve finally taken the plunge into purchasing your first home! Moving in can be a very exciting and liberating experience. It’s now your opportunity to express yourself creatively in terms of decoration, and to be truly independent in your choices.

Barnes Vanes

If you’re renting or have purchased an unfurnished property, you can start to fill it with your own furniture and begin a collection of furnishings that you can add to for the rest of your life. For those who find the decoration experience a little daunting, there are plenty of simple ways to ensure that you make sensible choices and stay on budget.

JMA Interiors

Clear Out Junk Before Moving

Before you move, have a clear out. Sell, bin or give to charity anything that you haven’t used or worn for over eight months. You might be surprised at what you find during a major de-cluttering session and you may even be able to make some extra cash from unwanted clothing, DVDs, games and music.

Barnes Vanes

The benefit of cutting down on what you bring to the new property is clear; it’s much easier to move a smaller amount of stuff, and you’ll avoid cluttering your new place with unnecessary items.

Barnes Vanes

Start Buying Bedroom Furniture First

Apparently we spend around a third of our time at home in the bedroom, so it’s an important room to get right during the decorating process. Sort the bedroom out first and ensure that you’re sleeping properly. You’ll be in a better position to tackle the rest of the house if this is the case.

Morgan Keefe

Looking for high quality modern bedroom sets is an absolute must, so don’t be afraid to splash out on this purchase. Go with a long-lasting wood frame and you will never need to replace it.

Hirsh Interior

Choose a restful colour scheme for the room, and match the tone of the walls to your bedding and the colour of your furniture. In the bedroom, every item should complement each other.

Tobi Fairley

Stick to a Budget – Buy Second Hand and Refurbish!

Don’t feel like you have to throw money at every problem. If you’ve just purchased a house, it’s likely that you’ll need to stick to a budget, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t make the place look wonderful. Look for large items of furniture like sofas,dining tables, and even outdoor patio furniture from second-hand stores, online auction sites or discounted furniture warehouses.

Tobi Fairley

You can always brighten old or dull items with a splash of paint, and change hardware like cabinet and door handles quite inexpensively. If you want a cohesive feel in one room, simply paint old wooden furniture the same colour, and add matching accessories such as rugs, lampshades and throws.

Tobi Fairley

Little things like a couple of bold cushions or having a dimmer switch installed can make all the difference in terms of changing the atmosphere of a room.

Caitilin Wilson