Towards non-wood furniture

The rising trend of "cocooning" has not only changed the lives of many - it has also reshaped the way furnishing industry operates these days. While people are spending more time at home, the definition of "quality furniture" has also changed dramatically, making "furnishing" one of the hottest topics around. Furniture industry never seems dull as new designs, popular trends are emerging season after season. What have been real attention-grabbing in recent years are the kinds of materials used to make the furniture sold on the market today.

Design and practicality are always key judging criteria used by consumers when deciding the purchase of a piece of new furniture. With that being said, many consumers today are paying more attention to the materials used for producing their ideal pieces. They see the materials as the critical stuff that adds the desirable textures and flavours to their homes.

For years and years, furniture has always been made of safe and durable materials such as metal, hard wood and iron. While these materials are practical and guaranteed to last for long, they deliver limited surprises. They fail to give that refreshing feeling when consumers are trying to bring to their homes a more trendy, updated look. The demand for furniture made of "alternative materials" is become a big fad these days.

In light of the surging concern over environmental protection for natural habitat, many eco-friendly organisations worldwide have come up with nature-conservation regulations and schemes to help monitor over the way forestlands are being harvested nowadays. For example, the European Environmental Bureau (also known as EEB), in conjunction with the FERN (Forest and the European Resource Network) and Greenpeace have produced an Eco-label scheme in 2003 for furniture-making, under which they all agreed to stop the cutting of wood from old-grown forests, and the use of PVC plastic. Besides, regional organisations such as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has been devoting itself to scrutinising its members to make sure that what they are building and the materials used are environmentally responsible.

With so much attention paid to environmental protection and the pressing urge for reduced wood consumption, it is only normal for furniture manufacturers to start pondering how they can stay in the business without breaching the newly-established environmental rules and regulations. Furniture designers began to think outside the box, and managed to create some of today's hottest items by producing furniture made of materials that we often see but just taking them for granted.

Once a popular material used only for children's furniture, plastics is now becoming a much-desired material for grown-up furniture as well. Flip through any furniture catalog and you will find hundreds of well-designed, presentable and fun furniture pieces are made of plastics.

The advantages of manufacturing plastic furniture are obvious enough. Plastics offer high degree of flexibility and freedom throughout the design and production process, making it possible to be transformed into furniture pieces of all shapes, sizes and colours. IKEA, for instance, has in recent years launched many plastic-made home items that bring lots of colours and excitement into modern homes. They include plastic stools, table lamps, wall shelves, and many others.

Then, in an age of rapid change and the accompanied sense of uncertainty, where one easily feel insecure and vulnerable, decorating the homes under a neutral, soothing theme is apparently the "in" thing to do nowadays. To achieve this, many homeowners are now purchasing furniture that is made of non-wood materials such as rattan and others carrying a natural touch. Rattan furniture, usually coming from Indonesia, is particularly popular for homes with gardens, as the material itself provides a natural, earthy ambience that can instantly ease stress and pressure. Popular rattan products dominating the market vary, although the practical ones such as storage boxes, candles holders and coffee tables never go out of style.

Another similar nature-borne material is bamboo. In an era where Asian art, sentiment and culture are becoming a dominating influence on various aspects on global lifestyle, the furniture industry also reflects this newfound phenomenon. Coming from mainly Southern China and Vietnam, bamboo is not only serving as every panda's dream meal, but also as an ideal material for many home furnishing products. For a long history in China and many Southeast Asian countries, bamboo has been an excellent material used to produce ladders because of its hardness and stability. Bamboo is now used for manufacturing hangers, beds, decorative screens and stalks, and many other household and furniture items. The authentic appearance gives a natural touch to the outdoor gardens, indoor living rooms and bedrooms decorated by the bamboo-made furniture and furnishings.

Finally, we come to the paper. Apart from being the perfect writing material, paper is also the new "twist" in the furniture industry. By capturing the tremendous potential lying beneath paper, a number of recycling firms around the world have successfully managed to produce a brand new kind of paper that is strong enough to sustain weight and harsh environment, making it an "alternative" material for furniture-making. This new trend was first spotted at the Sydney Olympics back in the year 2001, for which an Australian waste-recycling firm introduced a range of desks and chairs made of cardboard! Realising that paper can be even further well-utilised with a bit of imagination, furniture makers are now finding innovative ways to incorporate it into one's modern home. Best-selling paper-made products on the market today include storage boxes, window shades and lampshades, just to name a few. There are also manufacturers that are starting to use paper as filling materials for bookcases.

Though serving their own distinctive purposes, the alternative furnishing materials mentioned above share a common goal - to save the forests and for environmental protection, while to spice up our lives with their unique characteristics. Who knows, some day, not long from now, we will begin to see dining tables made of nylon, and cabinets made of rice....