The pandemic has reminded us of the importance of our interiors and what we surround ourselves with. And while the decorative aspects tend to rule consumer expectations, more and more people are looking to conciliate aesthetics, sustainability – and good deals. We asked Emery Jacquillat, General Manager at Camif, et Victoria Bergström, Communications Manager at Selency to tell us more about how to furnish our homes with more responsibility – and style.
What kind of furniture counts as sustainable?
Responsible – a.k.a. sustainable – furniture is furniture that was produced locally, made from sustainable products, and in the best labour conditions possible. All these elements allow the consumer to make an informed choice, and to decorate their home with furniture that has meaning. According to Emery Jacquillat, “people no longer want to just buy a product, a piece of furniture. They want the story behind it, to know how it was produced.” These stories can also be found in second-hand pieces. According to Victoria Bergström, “hunting down unique pieces is one of the best ways to create a unique decor that has a soul, and have furniture that you can’t find in everybody else’s home.”
Noble and recycled materials
To claim that a piece of furniture is designed in a responsible way, we must look at its composition. One can distinguish two types of sustainable materials: noble, organic materials and recycled materials. More and more initiatives and innovations are allowing for the creation of products from entirely recycled materials. For example, in 2021, Camif released Timothée, the first mattress made from 100% recycled old mattresses.
Give it a new life
Taking care of your furniture is also a way to make it easier to find a second life when it’s time to part with it. It’s a way to actively participate in the circular economy, and to allow furniture that wasn’t necessarily designed responsibly at first to become so. With a coat of paint or a little sanding, your old dining room table can find a new home. And who knows, it may end up for sale at one of Selency’s 5,000 partners and its network of local antique dealers and traders.
Purchasing power, meet sustainability
Sustainable furniture, as the name implies, is meant to last over time. It is therefore of better quality – and more expensive. Jacquillat has even coined a name for this price dilemma: “the end of the month/end of the world equation.” And for him, it can only be solved through a “change in consumer behavior, that is buying less, but better.” Buying sustainable furniture is a long-term investment, which can also bring the pleasure and satisfaction of a quality product. These purchases can also be made easier thanks to payment solutions. Finally, buying less is also freeing up purchasing power. And the second-hand market is also committed to combining savings with environmental protection. According to Bergström, “the second-hand model is at the heart of the circular economy. It brings together purchasing power, aesthetics, and responsible consumption!”
Nowadays, it is possible to breath new life into our interiors while respecting the principles of sustainability. If responsible furniture is more expensive because of its higher quality, its cost is amortized over time. And it is always possible to split the payments. The second-hand market is also part of this eco-responsibility approach, allowing smaller budgets to indulge in quality pieces.