Top 10 sustainable furniture designs that are the eco-friendly additions your home needs

2020 was a life-altering and drastic year, and 2023 is the year we get to redeem all our careless mistakes of the past and start living more consciously and sustainably. We cannot ignore the needs of our planet anymore, we need to take the environment into consideration, and what better way to start doing that than from our own homes? Sustainable furniture is taking the design industry by storm, they’re a step towards making our homes and our daily lives more eco-friendly and sustainable. They’re an attempt to cast aside toxic materials, and instead, add furniture designs to our home that won’t rot away on Earth for years once we’re done with them. We’ve curated a collection of furniture products created from cork, bamboo, and even a sea plant! The options are endless, and the end result is the same – a greener, healthier, and happier Mother Earth!

1. 3D-printed Chairs

Designed by Johannes Steinbauer Office For Design, these 3D-printed chairs are produced using additive manufacturing and are created without using fabrics, springs, and foam! And they still manage to be super functional and comfortable. These chairs utilize rigid parts, instead of the typical racks from chairs.

Why is it noteworthy?

The design is simple enough with four legs, a round seat, and a single bar at the back. But if you want to add other components like more racks or textiles, these can be added through 3D printing. The different parts are easy to assemble and disassemble and once it reaches the end of life, you can dispose of the different parts separately and recycle them accordingly.

What we like

Super easy to assemble and disassemble
Sustainable design

What we dislike

No instruction on having a space-saving version of this design

2. The Bündner Side Table

Designed by the Portuguese architecture and design studio Joana Vilaça Studio, the Bündner Side table is a solid wood table that is artfully inspired by the Swiss Alps lifestyle. It’s a rather interesting muse for a meager table, and not a very common one either.

Why is it noteworthy?

Joana drew inspiration from her own experience of living in Switzerland, where her studio is located. “Having lived for five years in the beautiful Graubünden canton of Switzerland, the collection is inspired by the art of living in the Swiss Alps,” she said.

What we like

The self-assembly design is ideal for residential or public interiors, where it can be utilized as a bedside, coffee, or side table

What we dislike

Would be great if there was a folding/space-saving version of it as well

3. The Chatpod 700

There are quite a few versatile options on the market when it comes to office booths, but have you come across the most sustainable one yet? Yup, called the Chatpod 700, this sleek and minimal office booth claims to be “the most sustainable office booth on the market”.

Why is it noteworthy?

Made entirely from recycled materials such as post-consumer cardboard, sawdust, rubber, and plastic bottle, the Chatpod 700 is quite proud of its sustainable composition, and with reason. Designed by Jeffrey Ibañez for Impact Acoustic, the office booth was ideally created for team meetings.

What we like

Built using recycled materials
Great space to hold casual informal meetings

What we dislike

Large space-consuming design

4. Oceanides

Designed by Alexia Mintsouli for UK studio Alexa Mint, Oceanides is a collection of tables made from sea plants and marble. The innovative collection includes a square coffee table and two round side tables. One of the side tables features four legs, while the other features a solid base.

Why is it noteworthy?

Peloponnesian Tortora marble was used to craft the base and legs of the table, while the brown-colored tabletops were built using a sea plant that imparts the table with a natural pattern variation.

What we like

The local Greek craftsmen were involved in the process, hence giving the local economy a boost as well
Designed to promote sustainability + earth preservation

What we dislike

No option for customization

5. The Drum Stool

The Drum stool is minimal, elegant, stackable, and not to mention sustainable! At first glance, the Drum stool looks like a cute little wine cork to me. But when you dig deeper, you realize it has much more to offer than its adorable good looks.

Why is it noteworthy?

Teixeira picked materials such as cork and wood to build the stool, instantly rating it high on sustainability. Cork was used to create the seat, while wood was the material of choice for the legs.

What we like

The cork seat is comfortable and inviting and provides a grip while handling, so the stool is quite easy to move around and place in different positions

What we dislike

The wave pattern of the trimmed cork seat seems uncomfortable to sit on for long durations

6. Stackabl

More than just a collection of designer furniture in the form of chairs, lounges, and benches, Stackabl is actually a new system that mixes machine precision with human creativity. In a nutshell, a specialized configurator software analyzes choices made by a user or a designer, like colors or dimensions, and selects high-quality felt offcuts that are then cut by robots for use in making furniture.

Why is it noteworthy?

The demand for clothing and furniture upholstery has probably gone up in the past few years, as more people become more attuned to well-designed products. That means more materials are used for production, which unfortunately also means more scraps are left on the cutting room floor, quite literally. While some of these materials are biodegradable or at least recyclable, one design firm is putting them to good use to create furniture that not only looks comfortable but artistically striking as well.

What we like

Reduces carbon footprint while also enriching and empowering local economies

What we dislike

May not suit modern contemporary homes

7. The Flying Saucer Coffee Table

This table is made up of three large UFO shapes in tasty candy colors holding aloft an even larger glass disc that serves as the tabletop, and it is called the Flying Saucer Coffee Table.

Why is it noteworthy?

The combination, especially if viewed from the top, is reminiscent of those glass jars holding innumerable gobstoppers that make our mouths water at the mere sight of them. Beneath the UFOs is a steel base plate that creates a perpetual shadow for the flying candies, regardless of the light source.

What we like

Thermoformed plastic used in the product is sourced from recycled materials, particularly from food packaging that makes up about 75% of London’s domestic plastic waste

What we dislike

The edges of the UFOs could easily cause us to stub our toes

8. in.water

This desk is striking in its minimalist beauty. The piece of furniture is flat-packed and easily assembled, composed of nothing more than two pairs of aluminum legs and a plexiglass tabletop.

Why is it noteworthy?

The table has a translucent gradient that goes from blue to frost white, creating an interesting visual even when it’s devoid of anything on top. The choice of color is, of course, intentional, and it is meant to convey the image of a clear body of water partially reflecting the blue sky.

What we like

It can be made from 100% recycled plexiglass and aluminum, and its flat-pack design produces less carbon footprint during transportation

What we dislike

Showcases no way to add drawers, cable management setup, or any accessories to the glass top

9. Vis-à-vis and Rendez-vous

I’ve realized that filling up your bathroom with thoughtful designs, only makes your time in it much more comfortable and smooth. And this collection of bathroom seating by Italian bathroom brand Agape strives to be exactly that! Designed by Marco Carini for Agape, the collection includes two seating designs created from recycled cork.

Why is it noteworthy?

The first design is called Vis-à-vis, and it is a light and sturdy stool that also doubles up as a tiny side table. The second design is Rendez-vous, and it’s a bench that serves as an extensive seating option for bathroom users. Both designs function as comfortable spots to sit and relax in the bathroom.

What we like

Crafted from recycled cork
The curving form resembles someone smiling

What we dislike

Not suited for bathrooms with a smaller footprint

10. The 4PM Chaise Longue Chair

Comprised of flat and curved features, the 4PM Chaise Longue Chair is designed to create comfort out of hard material. Constructed in either Douglas fir or cherry wood, the only upholstered component of the 4PM Chaise Longue Chair is the leather headrest. Balanced on top of the backrest, Massproductions held the headrest in place with a steel weight.

Why is it noteworthy?

Massproductions is a slow furniture company, don’t let the name fool you. Since the furniture company only develops a few pieces every year, the ones that go into production guarantee a top-quality build and durable life span. Boasting an efficient, sustainable, and high-quality industrial production process, the company’s designers ensure the integrity of Massproductions’s vision. The company’s founder, Chris Martin, developed the 4PM Chaise Longue Chair to reinforce the company’s commitment to quality and produce an ergonomic, long-lasting chair for much-needed R&R.