SUSTAINABLE CHOICES
Eco-friendly furniture is the need of the hour
As we imagine a future that measures up to climate change and operates in harmony with nature, eco-friendly furniture is set to become essential to live well in a resource constrained world. As people are confined within their homes now more than ever, they have realised that house isn’t just a place to sleep — it’s your office, your social space — and a home that reflects all of it. Hence lightweight, responsible and ecologically minded furniture has become the need of the hour.
Architect and interior designer Arun Kumar Chaubey says, “When it comes to eco-friendly products, jute curtains and paints with negligible VOC (volatile organic compounds) are being adopted by homeowners. Nothing spells modern urban décor sensibilities like house plants and since Covid-19 itself is airborne disease, people would definitely amp up the amount of green in their houses.”
Awareness has been growing that design and sustainability must go hand-in-hand. “We’ve been focusing on designing products that are about the freshness and freedom associated with nature, ” says social entrepreneur Gauri Gopal, adding, “Furniture products that aim at bringing multifunctionality and modern sensibility to commodities are being encouraged.”
It is more significant than ever to know the materials we’re using are sourced sustainably and ethically. Innovator Sanjeev Agrawal says, “We preserve ancestral craft traditions and support artisans by working closely with them and focusing on handcrafted products. Consumers today value everything made by hand as our products reflect authenticity and uplift the often neglected community — our artisans.”