The decision to incorporate environmental furniture into a house may be driven by a desire to reduce toxins and improve indoor air quality, to promote recycling, or even to save an old-growth forest and encourage more sustainable wood harvesting.

Run-of-the-mill stuffed furniture, much like mattresses, contains fire-retardant chemicals and formaldehyde. Although regulators have said that the protection afforded by the retardants ranks higher than the potential risk of chemical health problems, you may opt to purchase less chemically protected furniture.

Organically grown ramie and cotton are available for upholstering furniture. These materials are beautiful to look at and comfortable to sit on, and those with chemical sensitivities may find it a salvation to home furnishing.

Wood furniture should have the FSC seal to ensure it was forested with the environment and indigenous cultures in mind. Other companies now collect old wood, salvaging it from demolition sites and reworking it to make new wood furniture of both contemporary and more nostalgic styles. One example is Cabin Furniture and Décor, where customers can select hutches, benches, and dining-room tables and chairs made from reclaimed lumber.

As with flooring, bamboo is making headway in furniture construction, too. With its strength and short harvesting time, it's a realistic alternative to traditional wood furniture. Imagine lounging in a bamboo-frame chaise atop organic cotton cushions — green nirvana.

Recycling plastic is the feedstock for some furniture designers and manufacturers. It's made mostly into patio and decking furnishings, but some of the designs are worthy of inside rooms. Seat belts become strapping for loveseats, and corrugated cardboard holds shelves of books. Take your time when choosing any new furnishings. By checking out purchases ahead of time, you can protect the environment while investing wisely in your house.