Comments on: Searching for Green Furniture http://greencouple.com/2008/08/14/searching-for-green-furniture/ Learning to live green and live together Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:24:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Annoying Nathan about cars | GreenCouple.com http://greencouple.com/2008/08/14/searching-for-green-furniture/#comment-2199 Annoying Nathan about cars | GreenCouple.com Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:23:27 +0000 http://greencouple.com/?p=328#comment-2199 [...] it’s nice to be able to haul stuff around too, like when we got our new mattress. That cost us about $30 but would have been more like $50 if the Sam’s Club had been further [...] [...] it’s nice to be able to haul stuff around too, like when we got our new mattress. That cost us about $30 but would have been more like $50 if the Sam’s Club had been further [...]

]]> By: Linnea http://greencouple.com/2008/08/14/searching-for-green-furniture/#comment-1962 Linnea Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:28:43 +0000 http://greencouple.com/?p=328#comment-1962 Natural wool doesn't need fire retardants, generally speaking. It's a self-extinguishing fiber, which makes it really great for things like carpeting and mattresses (which offgas the most). Especially good if you like having candles around, or smoke inside (ugh). Maggie, I've been too busy to plug in the measurements you gave me, but I'll be able to do some next week. Then I can render some ideas for you, and lay out some lighting/furniture plans. Most important: keep your bulbs consistent. If you're using a warm white CFL in one fixture, use them in all of your fixtures. It makes a big difference in the way you perceive color and space. Natural wool doesn’t need fire retardants, generally speaking. It’s a self-extinguishing fiber, which makes it really great for things like carpeting and mattresses (which offgas the most). Especially good if you like having candles around, or smoke inside (ugh).

Maggie, I’ve been too busy to plug in the measurements you gave me, but I’ll be able to do some next week. Then I can render some ideas for you, and lay out some lighting/furniture plans. Most important: keep your bulbs consistent. If you’re using a warm white CFL in one fixture, use them in all of your fixtures. It makes a big difference in the way you perceive color and space.

]]> By: Maggie http://greencouple.com/2008/08/14/searching-for-green-furniture/#comment-1960 Maggie Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:00:44 +0000 http://greencouple.com/?p=328#comment-1960 I'm glad to see I'm not the only one struggling to find a good bed! I have slept on used mattresses since college and they really are okay but I really wanted something with more support and figured a new bed would be my best bet. Probably do need to upgrade the pillows, though. Linnea - the pictures are not great quality (I am not as talented or dedicated a photographer as Will is) and we haven't installed all our lights yet but we'll probably still need more. I would LOVE to have you come out and do some consulting for us. Perhaps I can get Will to take enough pictures to give you a reasonable virtual tour. One of the challenges about the older part of the house (the bedrooms and the front room with the couches) is that there are no built in overhead lights and no light switches tied to outlets so whatever we put in has to be turned on at the light. I'm thinking about investigating some touch lamps that would be fairly easy to stumble into in the dark. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one struggling to find a good bed! I have slept on used mattresses since college and they really are okay but I really wanted something with more support and figured a new bed would be my best bet. Probably do need to upgrade the pillows, though.

Linnea - the pictures are not great quality (I am not as talented or dedicated a photographer as Will is) and we haven’t installed all our lights yet but we’ll probably still need more. I would LOVE to have you come out and do some consulting for us. Perhaps I can get Will to take enough pictures to give you a reasonable virtual tour. One of the challenges about the older part of the house (the bedrooms and the front room with the couches) is that there are no built in overhead lights and no light switches tied to outlets so whatever we put in has to be turned on at the light. I’m thinking about investigating some touch lamps that would be fairly easy to stumble into in the dark.

]]> By: Andy http://greencouple.com/2008/08/14/searching-for-green-furniture/#comment-1959 Andy Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:11:34 +0000 http://greencouple.com/?p=328#comment-1959 The bed I just bought was a bit of a splurge, but I figured for something I used 1/3 of my life it should be. I looked at some natural mattresses (latex instead of springs) and I liked them, but the bottom of the line was $1000 and not terribly comfortable, and the next thing up was $2600. That gap was just too much for recent graduates! I ended up with a King Coil from one of the few mattress stores here, and luckily they had a floor model deal on the one we really liked. $800 for a mattress and box spring, instead of $1500 for the full bed. I can always get a frame later, and there's some really good ones around here. I justified the lack of greenness on the bed because the price was just so much more than I could deal with now. I do plan on buying natural wool pillows (which I believe are NOT coated with fire retardants) that are $42 each. Putting my head on a pillow covered in neurotoxins is something I can pay a bit more to avoid! The other "green" furniture in town is really poor quality furniture, wrapped in organic cloths, and is very expensive (think $2000 for a couch). An imported furniture store has some great couches for the same price, that look like they would last forever (wonderful fabrics) but are $2000-$4000. Is it worth the money to get something that would last for a long time? I guess I need to figure out how long I expect to use it for, and how much that price comes to per month, and then figure it out. The bed I just bought was a bit of a splurge, but I figured for something I used 1/3 of my life it should be. I looked at some natural mattresses (latex instead of springs) and I liked them, but the bottom of the line was $1000 and not terribly comfortable, and the next thing up was $2600. That gap was just too much for recent graduates! I ended up with a King Coil from one of the few mattress stores here, and luckily they had a floor model deal on the one we really liked. $800 for a mattress and box spring, instead of $1500 for the full bed. I can always get a frame later, and there’s some really good ones around here.

I justified the lack of greenness on the bed because the price was just so much more than I could deal with now. I do plan on buying natural wool pillows (which I believe are NOT coated with fire retardants) that are $42 each. Putting my head on a pillow covered in neurotoxins is something I can pay a bit more to avoid!

The other “green” furniture in town is really poor quality furniture, wrapped in organic cloths, and is very expensive (think $2000 for a couch). An imported furniture store has some great couches for the same price, that look like they would last forever (wonderful fabrics) but are $2000-$4000. Is it worth the money to get something that would last for a long time? I guess I need to figure out how long I expect to use it for, and how much that price comes to per month, and then figure it out.

]]> By: Linnea http://greencouple.com/2008/08/14/searching-for-green-furniture/#comment-1958 Linnea Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:20:41 +0000 http://greencouple.com/?p=328#comment-1958 As icky as it sounds, I prefer used mattresses. At least then they've had a good chance to offgass. I just try to get them from familiar sources... Just looking at these two photos: do you have more lighting? A few great fixtures can go a long way, and good lighting really helps achieve a 'finished' look. As icky as it sounds, I prefer used mattresses. At least then they’ve had a good chance to offgass. I just try to get them from familiar sources…

Just looking at these two photos: do you have more lighting? A few great fixtures can go a long way, and good lighting really helps achieve a ‘finished’ look.

]]> By: Student Doctor Green http://greencouple.com/2008/08/14/searching-for-green-furniture/#comment-1956 Student Doctor Green Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:24:10 +0000 http://greencouple.com/?p=328#comment-1956 Yay for someone else that has gone to the dark side of Sam's Club. And about the natural mattresses, it's crazy. I was talking with a furniture salesman and he was saying one of them goes for $1500 and it's a TWIN! Plus he said it was about as hard as the examination table you sit on at the doc's. No way! Yay for someone else that has gone to the dark side of Sam’s Club. And about the natural mattresses, it’s crazy. I was talking with a furniture salesman and he was saying one of them goes for $1500 and it’s a TWIN! Plus he said it was about as hard as the examination table you sit on at the doc’s. No way!

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