Going Green DESIGINGreen

This week Gallery Six attending a seminar hosted by the Dallas Market Center.  The speaker was Jeff Hiller, president of the Sustainable Furnishings Council.  He is an accredited LEED-CI/AP.  The seminar was not the typical “tree-hugger” mentality.  It was in fact the opposite.  Mr. Hiller gave an entertaining and informative lecture.  The biggest message was that the design industry needs to open the door of discussion to their clients about the green movement.  He gave very interesting statics regarding changing out light bulbs and upgrading appliances or using antiques in your designs.  Mr. Hiller suggested that when discussing projects with clients to ask if they are interested with incorporating green in the design.  If the client is open to it, then pursue it.  If not, move on to the next topic in your design.

Being “green” does not always mean going in search for every sustainable product in the industry, but it does mean to take a closer look at what you are purchasing for your clients.

Habersham is made here in the United States which does not require using fossil fuels to transport across the ocean.

Wesley Allen utilizes as much of the metal as possible and then recycles what can not be used.

Theodore Alexander produces all of their products within their own facilities and does not outsource all over the world.  They also utilize reclaimed wood for their entire Castle Bromwich collection.  Each piece is individual due to the wear of the wood.

Antigua Furniture has been a pioneer in the use of recycled hardwoods such as Rediscovered Oak which originates from old barns and farmhouses in the United States.  Antigua uses only hardwoods that are grown responsibly. They are fully committed to preserving our forests and take great care in verifying the origin of our lumber. They are INAB certified and our group of companies contributes a portion of our proceeds towards reforestation projects and the protection of natural habitats & wildlife.

In 2001, when very few companies in the furniture industry were thinking about global warming, South Cone invested a large amount of resources and time in obtaining FSC certification for their factory in Peru and our distribution center in the United States.  From that year until today, South Cone has become the world leader in sustainable furniture and wood management practices. They are active members of the Sustainable Furniture Council (sustainablefurniturecouncil.org) and one of only three companies in the world to have silver exemplary status from this prestigious organization.

Change is not the easiest thing to accept; however, we can open dialogue with our vendors to ensure that we are provide the best products for your clients and our world.