Gorgeous Green Furniture

President Obama has signed a law that will reduce toxic formaldehyde emissions from home wood products by 2013. Until then, check out these sustainable styles.

Also see green office furniture and green modular homes.

By Olivia Zaleski

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EcoSystems Table

It has gotten easier to find great furniture with style and value, and that also goes easier on the planet. For example, EcoSystems' Glass Table has ingenious Snug-It Connectors that allow for their high quality furniture to be shipped flat (saving space), and assembled without tools. They also have a variety of wood materials for any budget, ranging from FSC-certified bamboo to reclaimed teak. Finishes and materials are low VOC to protect indoor air quality. Visit ecosystemsbrand.com.
Bamboo dining table by Bart Bettencourt.
Bettencourt
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Bamboo Dining Table by Bettencourt

The work of designer Bart Bettencourt applies an elegant aesthetic to sustainable materials. This bamboo dining table uses nontoxic adhesives to join highly sustainable, non-VOC bamboo panels to a steel frame. Available at vivavi.com.

Original Scrapile Table by Scrapile

Designers Carlos Salgado and Bart Bettencourt collect discarded wood and arrange it into beautiful and innovative furniture. Nontoxic, water-soluble glue and local wood-shop scraps form this unique handcrafted dining table. The striations of the wood not only impart character, but they also will pick up on and coordinate with whatever dominant wood color you have in your decor. Check out velocityartanddesign.com.

InModern Rekindle Occasional Table

InModern's Rekindle Occasional Table is made from just three pieces of wood, which is certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council. So well designed, it doesn't require glue, screws, bolts or nails to hold it together, or tools to assemble. Plus, it looks great in any modern living room. Visit econsciousmarket.com.

Design Within Reach
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Cork Table and Stool

Jasper Morrison's simple table and stool are both made from solid cork, a sustainable material harvested from the renewable bark of trees. Cork is famously lightweight and spongy, making Morrison's stool a remarkably comfortable addition to any seating arrangement. Check out dwr.com.

John Wiggers
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Ellipse Table

Handcrafted from exotic amboyna and black walnut, both Forest Stewardship Council-certified woods, the Ellipse Table is designer John Wiggers's salute to eco-minimalism. Additional leaves allow you to comfortably serve 6 diners. Visit vivavi.com.

Cisco Brothers
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Cisco Linden Daybed

The Linden Daybed is one of many exciting sustainable pieces in Cisco Brothers' Basal Living Collection of upholstered furniture. Whether made from hemp, natural latex, foam or reclaimed or renewable wood, each Basal piece is designed to be hypoallergenic and absolutely chic. Visit ciscobrothers.com.

Maku Sofa

Maku Furniture Co., a member of 1% for the Planet, makes sustainable furniture that is surf-inspired. This simple and distinctly modern sofa is made from plantation-grown teak, and comes in four cushion options or custom eco-fabrics. Visit moddecor.com.

Pie Sushi Daybed

The delightfully playful, curvy Sushi Daybed by Pie is constructed from handwoven water hyacinth that is wrapped tightly around a durable rattan frame. Water hyacinth is a highly renewable natural fiber that grows so quickly in parts of Asia it is often considered an environmental nuisance. Visit vivavi.com.

Cisco Brothers
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Cisco Betula Chaise

Take a rest from chemically tainted upholstery on this classic-lined natural latex chaise lounge from Cisco Brothers. The entire collection is hypoallergenic, biodegradable and organic, from seed to shelf. Visit ciscobrothers.com.

Gotham Side Chair by J. Persing

Airy and sophisticated, the Gotham side chair from J. Persing exemplifies the eco-mantra "reduce, reuse and recycle." The chair's webbing is surplus automotive seat belts, while the lightweight frame is bent-laminated maple, an extremely resource-efficient material. Visit jpersing.com.

Zelfo Australia
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Zelfo Australia Peanut Chair

Zelfo is a strong, light, pliable material formed from natural fibers, recycled paper and other raw cellulose materials. The whimsical, unique Peanut Chair dazzles in an array of colors on a swivel chrome base. Visit zelfoaustralia.com.

Modern Bamboo
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Spring Chair by Modern Bamboo

Bamboo's strength and flexibility make the Spring Chair by Modern Bamboo a buoyant, elegant rocker for modernity. Bamboo, a rapidly renewable grass requiring very little water, is a favorite wood alternative among many contemporary eco-designers. Visit modernbamboo.com.

Bodyform Chair by J. Persing

The graceful Bodyform chair from J. Persing is made from a single piece of ply-bent wood. Therefore, it requires one-eighth the amount of lumber as conventional wood chairs. Sinuous curves aside, the chair is undeniably comfortable. Visit jpershing.com.

Design Within Reach
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Juliana Armchair

The Juliana Armchair is formed from solid Brazilian hardwood harvested from sustainable resources. It was hand-carved in a small factory in Brazil, created by Brazilian designer Aristeu Pires exclusively for Design Within Reach. A non-VOC, water-based finish gives the chair a sleek and reflective veneer. Visit dwr.com.

Kenneth Cobonpue
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Voyage Bed

Integrating green design, exotic resources and innovative, handmade production techniques, Kenneth Cobonpue offers an exciting alternative to conventional home style. The Voyage Bed is made from organic bamboo, rattan and abaca. Visit kennethcobonpue.com.

Iannone Design
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Iannone Graphic Armoire

The Iannone Design Graphic Armoire is a mash-up of classic furniture functionality and playful, modern graphic design. The doors on the sleek storage unit are made from the reclaimed stalks of the sorghum plant. The cabinet is constructed of Forest Stewardship Council-certified birch plywood, formaldehyde-free adhesives and Greenguard gloss white laminate. Visit vivavi.com.

Iannone Design
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Wood Stripe Nightstand

Iannone's Wood Stripe cabinets are made from renewable bamboo, Forest Stewardship Council-certified birch and domestic solid walnut. Finished with a low-VOC, water-based lacquer, these clean, modern pieces come in three sizes. They work great as nightstands. Visit vivavi.com.

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