Futures Furniture

For the consumer who is passionate
about the environment.

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Happy Birthday! Futures Furniture Business Directory is excited about our first birthday! While some call it an anniversary, we really like birthdays in our home.  We have come a long way and look forward to growing and sharing your eco furnishings and products with everyone. As a directory of green and eco-friendly furniture and home furnishings, we emphasize Sustainable, Recycled, Reclaimed Materials and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) approved products, lumber and resources. Organic, Hemp, Bamboo, Soy and Natural Fibers and Textiles. Non-Toxic, Low VOC, Natural Finishes. Environmentally  Friendly Sourcing, Manufacturing & Distribution Processes, just to name a few. It is not our job to define which  shade of green for the consumer. We understand that not all companies are alike. However, it is our job to share your products with consumers to help them make educated eco choices. Consider your product line and how it is made. Where do you source and manufacture your product? The furnishings industry is responding to consumer request for more information about eco alternatives to furniture. Consumers DO want eco products and ARE willing to work with designers and architects to get what they want. As consumers, be willing to ask your retailers and interior designers about eco furniture alternatives. Even if you do not make an immediate choice to go green, it helps to take the time to consider the options and how you can incorporate eco into your lifestyle. As a designer, manufacturer, retailer or supplier, keep your momentum moving forward. You have an opportunity to make a difference.                   Industry news... Now is a great time to update, clean and recycle your furnishings...more Reclaimed wood furniture generates steady demand...more Specialty Sleep Association reports on Green survey...more To Market green or Not? more FTC looking at "Greenwashing" more Las Vegas Market Feb 2010 more           March 18-21, 2010 is the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in NYC and this show is open to the public. If you are in the NYC area, take the opportunity to visit with the many Eco Furniture Designers that will be present. We look forward to being at the show and reviewing eco trends. There will also be some great workshops with an eco focus and you can meet with Interior Designers. Now is a great time to ask about eco furniture lines, sustainable products and environmental design projects for your home.                 Social Media Today As a business web directory, listing with us also means customers contacting you. As a marketing rule of thumb these days, your business should be at a minimum on Twitter and/or Facebook. Twitter and Facebook are the most popular online networking tools your business should be using. While the jury is still out over effectiveness,  if you have not done so already, create these accounts, If you need help, contact us and let us help you. Sharing your promotions increases interest in your business. While at Las Vegas Market in February 2010, we attended some workshops and were surprised to see how little of an internet presence there was by many furniture retailers. Having an on-line presence CAN increase your sales and certainly can help your sales rep make more sales. We track our site visits and can attest to the increase in traffic to our website and page views from the time we started Twitter and Facebook. Pick the site that you feel is best for your company. Be sure to follow us!                             A-Z Eco Lifestyles You may have seen information regarding A-Z Eco Lifestyles. This is a page on the Futures Furniture website. Created out of interest from non furniture related companies, this page allows for additional marketing and advertising for all businesses in the Directory, doubling exposure for all green products and services. Be sure to check out these companies and refer anyone you feel may be a fit.  You can also follow A-Z Eco Lifestyles on Twitter and Facebook and articles of interest...more           September 2010 National Home Furnishings Month A unified retail sales event that leverages common content and messaging to drive consumer demand and sales in home furnishings. This is a great time to see what retailers are offering and a great time to shop eco friendly. Are you ready?  Futures Furniture Markets: Consumers Interior Design Green Building Natural Lifestyles Eco Tourism Architecture Eco Retailers Healthcare Hospitality Real Estate Market Watch: Architectural Digest Interior Design Real Estate LOHAS Health & Hospitality Baby & Kids E-Alerts Trade Magazines Events:  Las Vegas Market  High Point Market Architectural Digest Home Design Show ABC Kids Show Local & Regional Join Us Sublimehome 11th Hour Furniture Vintage Renewal Wisdom Furniture Dovetail Designs Eco Sleep Mattress David Sears Design Douglas & Wood Master Furniture Maker T.R. Risk Joyful Furniture Baby Bamboo Jeanne Beatrice Ragaboo Gorgeous and Green Over the Moon Autonomie Project Kulae Rusty Zipper Vector Group Local Harvest Numi Organic Bouquet Feather Thy Nest Russell Organics Bean Products Art of Touch Paper Culture Bangalla Green Garden Tools Upurea Artist Ron Curlee Over the Moon Think Bamboo Viva Terra Home Furnishings Kitchen/Bath Children's Bedroom Living Dining Outdoor Commercial Hospitality Traditional Hand Made Made in U.S.A FSC Products Solid Wood Products Antiques Refurbished Recycled Reclaimed Sustainable

ARTICLES & GENERAL INFORMATION:

Spending too much time indoors? Now is a great time to update your furniture and keep your home healthy.

Specialty Sleep Association shares green survey results at Las Vegas Market event. Provides insights into consumer interest in eco-friendly bedding.  David Perry -- Furniture Today, February 3, 2010: LAS VEGAS — Most consumers would choose a mattress with an environmentally friendly claim, and a significant number would pay more for such a mattress, according to consumer research sponsored by the Specialty Sleep Assn. Furniture Today: Green Survey Results

Little Green Book...

SublimeHome Introduces New Line of Eco Friendly Furniture

David Sears Design: New Designs

2009 Sage Awards - Sage Awards

Green My Textile Choices - Sustainable Furnishings Council

Study: Green Building Provide 8 Million U.S. Jobs In 4 Years - USGBC

Furniture: The Eco-Friendly Alternative - Futures Furniture

SEO And Social Media - Futures Furniture

Green Furniture Design on display in Milwaukee

For more articles and information visit our blog at http://futuresfurniture.wordpress.com

Futures Furniture Business Directory is a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council as a Corporate Member. http://www.sustainablefurnishings.org and a sponsor of ECOngress2010 at Las Vegas Market 2010.

 FIND THESE BUSINESSES AND OTHER LISTINGS IN THE FUTURES FURNITURE BUSINESS DIRECTORY:

EcoSleep Mattresses: Compliment your eco-friendly furniture with an eco-friendly mattress. EcoSleep(tm) mattresses are a healthier alternative to traditional mattresses. Manufactured with the environment in mind, EcoSleep products use raw materials that are natural, recycled and sustainable. Materials like memory foam made with castor oil, which leaves a smaller carbon footprint than the soy oil used to make many kinds of memory foam. And Talalay latex, which is made using natural latex milk from the Hevea brasiliensis tree. And bamboo ticking, which contains 100% biodegradable bamboo fibers. The bottom line—we believe that natural ingredients make a healthier product—both for you and for the environment. Check out their website at http://www.ecosleepmattress.com

Vintage Renewal: Vintagerenewal.com is an online green furniture boutique specializing in blending both classic and modern pieces to create one-of-a-kind usable art for your home. The furniture and art objects created for Vintage Renewal are inspired by past decades, fashion styles, different cultures, antique furniture, and vintage craft books. The frames covered are found or existing objects that are given a new lease on life. The upholstery is commonly covered in vintage fabrics and recycled fabrics. We are a green boutique and practice green upholstery design. http://www.vintagerenewal.com  Enjoy 20% off at vintagerenewal.com through December 25th. Happy Holidays!

Wisdom Furniture: Wisdom Furniture Inc. creates artisan-crafted green furniture, lighting, and artwork. Our designs blend geometric forms with distinctive marquetry patterns to create elegant, organic, contemporary pieces. Every design is unique or limited to a small edition, and each piece is hand-signed by designer Nathaniel Stegall. We also provide custom design service to help you create the perfect sustainable furniture for your home or project. Wisdom Furniture is committed to the highest standards of environmentally responsible design and business. All of our designs incorporate reclaimed aircraft-grade fine wood veneer, rapidly renewable wheat-board, non-toxic glues, and French Polish natural shellac finish. Our lighting line features energy-saving LED bulbs, and we purchase Green-E certified renewable power to run our production studio. Designing for Sustainability. http://www.wisdomfurniture.com

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS: Why Hemp?  Hemp is a good example of economic and environmental sustainability for our planet. The fibers are strong and the seeds and oil have nutritional benefits. Hemp is a good product for furniture.  Its strong fibers have been used for many generations to create natural designs built to last and full of quality. In addition, other Hemp products include accessories, animal care, apparel, building materials & composites, cosmetics & body care, food & beverages, house wares, paper, publications, and textiles.

INSPIRED DESIGN: Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging spaces to achieve harmony with the environment. Used in architectural planning and interior design, Feng Shui rests on the notion that our lives are affected by our physical environments. Primarily concerned with optimal energy flow, it can affect a person’s health, wealth, and personal relationships. Give it a try – you never know!

COOL DESIGNS:

Love this console with its use of resin with eco-friendly finishes. Stylish and minimal this piece integrates the outdoor with inner spaces. Dovetail Furniture Designs Look for new products inspired by nature.

Great Sources of Information

ASID - American Society of Interior Designs:  http://www.asid.org

Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival: http://www.vermontwoodfestival.org

Design for the Environment: http://www.epa.gov

Ecolet: http://ecolet.net

IDSA - Industrial Designers Society of America: http://idsa.org

O2: http://o2.org

Superuse: http://www.superuse.org

The Designers Accord: http://www.designeraccord.org

CARE - Carpet America Recovery Effort: http://www.carpetrecovery.org

IFAT: http://www.ifat.org

Metafore: http://www.metafore.org

Natural Resources Defense Council: http://www.nrdc.org

Rainforest Alliance: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org

SPC - Sustainable Packaging Coalition: http://www.sustainablepackaging.org

Sustainable Packaging Alliance: http://www.sustainablepack.org

SWIFT - Sample Waste Initiative for the Furniture and Textile Industries: http://www.swiftproject.org

USGBC - U.S. Green Building Council: http://www.usgbc.org

SFI - Sustainable Forestry Initiative: http://www.sfiprogram.org

Forest Stewardship Council - FSC: http://www.fsc.org

Yampa Valley Sustainability Council: http://www.yvsc.org

   On behalf of all of us, thank you for your business.

Join Today: Your membership with our Directory makes you an important part of the process for social and environmental change.  Become a Steward for Change today.