10 Sustainable Home Decor Brands You Should Be Shopping

It can be a puzzle to find home goods that are better for the earth, especially when labels of “green,” “eco-friendly,” and the like are not regulated in any way. So we dug into the details to find a range of sustainable home decor using ecologically sound materials, manufacturing that minimizes transportation-related consumption, and energy-saving strategies, and who give back to environmental causes. No single company is perfect, but these home brands are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and the ecological impact of their products. Of course, the most sustainable option is to use and repair what you already own or to shop secondhand, but if you do need to replace something, these 10 eco-friendly home decor brands deliver more sustainable choices.

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Furniture: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

Based in North Carolina, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is a founding member of Sustainable Furnishings Council, an organization whose mission is to “minimize carbon emissions, waste stream pollutants, un-recyclable content, and primary materials from unsustainable sources.” The U.S.-made furnishings are free from fire-retardant chemicals, made from sustainably-sourced domestic lumber, and sealed with low-VOC finishes. In addition to its eco bonafides, the company gets the top rating from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.

Prices: $$, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams’s signature sofas range from $2,000 for a simple, upholstered couch to nearly $10,000 for a luxe, leather Chesterfield.

Rugs: Company C

This colorful, New Hampshire-based brand is best known for its rugs, but it also sells a range of home goods, including upholstered furniture. Company C is a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and strives for sustainable materials sourcing, including natural fibers, organic cotton for bedding, and also recycled plastics for some rugs. Company C is also a member of GoodWeave, an organization fighting to end child labor in the rug trade.

Prices: $$, a 4-by-6-foot wool rug retails for $395 and up.

Home Organizing/Housekeeping: Brabantia

This company is serious about manufacturing products that are truly sustainable. Ninety percent of Brabantia’s products are Cradle to Cradle Bronze Certified, which means they are “more sustainable products made for the circular economy” (aka, not stuff that will end up in a landfill). Plus, some of the Netherlands-based brand’s products, like drying racks, are designed to help you live a lower-impact life.

Prices: $-$$, a small, metal step trash can retails for $26; the Lift-O-Matic drying rack is $85.

Minimalist Bedding: Coyuchi

Seriously sustainable with a less-is-more luxe look, Coyuchi’s textiles are all Global Organic Textile Standard-(GOTS)- and Fairtrade-certified (the former guarantees that they are truly organic and the latter ensures fair wages and working conditions for the people who make their products). A selection of Coyuchi’s products also raises funds for 1 Percent for Planet, a group of for-profit companies that have committed to donate to environmental causes.

Prices: $$$, A set of twin-size percale sheets starts at $148 per set; a decorative throw pillow cover is $68.

Patterned Bedding: Plover Organic

Plover Organic’s textiles live up to their name: They are made from 100-percent organic cotton, with GOTS certification to back up their claims. (Plover also uses sustainable dyeing methods and its products are guaranteed to be free of harmful substances by Oeko-Tex’s Standard 100.) The company is so committed to sustainability that it uses its fabric scraps to make reusable packaging for linens and one-of-a-kind pieces.

Prices: $$-$$$, sheet sets start at $158 for a twin set; napkins start at $28 for four.

Mattresses: Naturepedic

Lately there has been an explosion of mattress companies making “green” claims, but Naturepedic has been leading the organic mattress business since 2003. Founded by an environmental engineer, their Greenguard-certified mattresses are free from flame retardants, vinyl, polyurethane foam, and perfluorinated compounds. The company also gives back to environmental causes through their membership in 1 Percent for Planet.

Prices: $$-$$$, twin mattresses are $699 to $899.

Dishware: Heath Ceramics

Made in California since its founding in 1948, Heath Ceramics is an employee-owned company known for its tableware and tiles. In 2016, Heath Ceramics set a goal for zero-waste production (meaning it sends no trash to the landfill)—and it has come very close to achieving it. The brand also curates a selection of eco-friendly products from other brands that meet its standards for quality and sustainability.

Prices: $$-$$, bowls start at $26 a piece, and mugs at $26.

For Outdoors: Gardener's Supply Company

As an employee-owned, certified B-Corp (a business that balances purpose and profit) that provides gardeners with all the tools they need, it is not a big surprise that Gardener's Supply Company commits a whopping 8 percent of profits to support community gardening and farming organizations.

Prices: $-$$, Gardener's Supply sells tools for a sustainable life, including tools for composting (compost bins start at $100), water conservation (a basic rain barrel is $130), and creating a backyard habitat (a mason bee house is $22).

For Budget Finds: IKEA

IKEA may be best known for its starter-home furniture, but the Scandinavian company is working towards serious sustainability goals (it's committed to becoming a circular business, sending no waste to landfills by 2030). In the immediate future, IKEA aims to buy all of its major materials from more sustainable sources and produce as much renewable energy as it consumes by the end of this year. While IKEA’s do-it-yourself furniture assembly is notoriously a pain, its flat-pack design is a model of transport efficiency.

Prices: $

For Decor and Accessories: VivaTerra

The OG eco-living catalog company Viva Terra says it strives for sustainability throughout its offerings (though it touts no third-party certifications to back its claims). The eco standards vary from product to product (and the style can be extra earthy at times), VivaTerra should be one of your eco shopping bookmarks for gems like recycled glass bud vases ($29) and Javanese woven storage baskets ($79 to $159).

Prices: $-$$