We are rewarded with never ending licks and cuddles from Jackson and creamy sunshine yellow yolk eggs from the girls … the shells aren’t wasted either; crushed and sprinkled around the veggie garden keeps snails and slugs at bay too.  Anyway, best of all, our green bin is always empty – yay!

Paper, food, glass, metals, timber and garden waste come to mind when we think about what goes into landfill, and rightly so, as these categories make up the majority of general waste.

But what about furniture?  Think of the countless piles of hard rubbish that line our streets, full of discarded furniture, then think about what you DON’T see and how much goes directly into landfill. 

So how can buying pre-loved pieces of furniture contribute to saving our wonderful, albeit under stress, planet?

So many reasons!  Where to start? Best to break it into two sections; Pros & cons (my originality astounds me sometimes!)

As I always like to finish on a positive note, I’ll start with the ‘cons’ first;

Cons

Packaging …. aaarrrgggghhh – soooooooo much packaging … the human race is addicted to the stuff.  TV’s, lounges, tables, cabinets, chairs are BIG items and the amount of packaging used beggar’s belief; Styrofoam, plastic and cardboard … one TV just about does the recycling bin quota for a week BUT have you ever seen how a couch is packaged??

Materials – loads of USC (my own little acronym - Unidentified Smelly Chemicals).  Sadly, we as consumers are not made aware of what they are and their effects on us (a range of allergies, cancers, skin irritations, respirotory issues just to name a few), but they are widely accepted and used in mass furniture production.   Here are a couple of particularly nasty ones, but of course there are many more; Acetaldehyde (tanning agents, polyester resins, dyes), Formaldehyde (glues, adhesives, coatings), Benzene (detergents and dyes – used as a solvent for waxes, resins and plastics).

Workmanship – time is money, the bottom line is king.  What better way to cut corners and therefore costs than in labour?  The focus of production-line manufacturing is quantity of out-put, not the quality, nor the longevity of the product.  Hence, with little use, mass-produced pieces can wear quickly – not only in terms of the finish but the overall sturdiness.  Don’t even get me started when talking about timber furniture … using green timber (not given the time to dry fully), results in the timber contracting over time, creating gaps and bowing – all happening in a very short period of time.

Investment – take a look at how much the big furniture retailers charge for their mass-produced imported furniture, then take a look at their re-sale value online … people can’t give them away.  I rest my case on this one. 

Are you a sheep (nothing against those gorgeous beings) or an individual? – go into one or two of the bulk furniture stores in Melbourne – thereafter don’t even bother going into the others in the hope to find something different … the first two will set the scene of what all the others stock; same styles, same colours, same, same and same.  They crush individuality!

Now the Pros

Packaging – there is none!  Except of course for blankets and doonas to protect your precious cargo.

Materials – beautiful timbers offering warmth and character … nothing like running your hand over a beautifully polished piece … good for the soul.  Yes, some pieces have age-related changes to the timber, often due to where they have been placed over the years and the subsequent changes in temperature, but these changes have often happened over decades and really just add to the character.  And yes, glues and finishes were used, so definitely not pure and innocent but additives were at a more acceptable level.

Workmanship – aaahh, the word craftmanship has been lost a little.  Nothing like hand-crafted, hand-cut joins, hand-carved pieces.  Time was not the factor, the pride in their handiwork was.

Investment – we all know fashion comes and goes – it is cyclic, and it applies to furniture as it does clothes and architecture.  Thoughtful designs, quality, well-made pieces, crafted of a range of hardwood timbers and timber veneers will always hold a place in time.  Yes, they may go out of fashion – just look at the mid-century pieces that are so sought after today (yes, lots of veneer used in those pieces, but veneer is not a dirty word.  Do you know that the earliest veneers were found in Egyptian tombs?  Without veneers, the most beautiful timber veneer finishes that created superb contrasts and book-matching features in antique and vintage furniture would not exist?  Anyway, I digress, that’s a whole other topic for discussion!).  Sadly, so many antique, vintage and mid-century pieces were relegated to the local tip in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.

Individuality – no matter the type of your dwelling; a quaint weatherboard, a rented brick veneer townhouse, a modern house in the suburbs or a renovated warehouse – you can create your own individual space that is unlike anyone else’s – fill it with an eclectic mix of beautiful pieces across the decades that no-one can replicate.  Thoughtfully put together, you will create your own individual ‘look’ and space that will not only reflect your personality but also your outlook on life. 

We can all do our little bit to save the planet, as insignificant as it seems, it all adds up.  Rescue a dog, a cat, a chook, a bird or that sick little plant on the marked down stand at your local Bunnings store but whatever you do, don’t miss the chance to rescue that lovely little piece that caught your eye.  Give it another chapter in its life, let you become the next page in the story of its life.